Neal-Goulet, Gemetta

After more than three decades as a high school and college basketball official, Gemetta Neal-Goulet of Manchester took a much needed break this winter and put her striped shirt and whistle aside.

But the impact that Neal-Goulet made for Hartford Board 6 has been everlasting, according to Board 6 commissioner Ed Lynch. “Gemetta has had a very nice career, ” said Lynch. “She has been a president of the local board, and served on many committees and has done a very good job.” In a leadership position and on the court, too.

“To be honest, on the court, Gemetta has such a friendly disposition and is so professional in every way, ” said Lynch. “She has been a very dedicated individual over the years.” Dedicated maybe an understatement in every endeavor that Neal-Goulet has encountered ever since the New London native and 1978 Norwich Technical School graduate began working as a youth coach. A referee on IAABO Board 6 since 1998 and college official since 2001, she became the first female executive committee member in 2015-16 and became the first female president in 2019-20.

Previously, Neal-Goulet coached at the high school level at E.O. Smith, RHAM and Bloomfield High, where she was a volunteer assistant for the 2007 team that won the State Championship.

To jump start her career, she was a graduate assistant for Geno Auriemma in his first season as UConn's head coach in 1985-86 and as an assistant at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic. As a referee, Neal-Goulet’s career highlights include working nine CIAC state tournaments, including 2023 final and five national junior college tournaments.

“Making the transition from the high school to college level, Neal-Goulet learned an invaluable lesson with a self-evaluation. “I had to get used to not watching the ball, but a specific coverage area on the court, ” she said. “Watching the ball is secondary. If you do, you miss the game. Seeing through screens if defenders are on the shooter is important.” Another aspect is equally important, Neal-Goulet. noted. “To be a referee, I knew it would be hard and the key is to have tough skin, sometimes. In 30-plus years, I issued only five technical fouls.” When Neal-Goulet officiated a Cheney Tech-Prince Tech boys game years ago, she was given a positive nod when one of the coaches uttered “I hope to see you in the state tournament. It proved that he respected me.”

Aspiring to be a role model for young girls and women, Neal-Goulet wanted to show them there is a career path after playing basketball. “My goal has always been to give them life experiences through basketball while building self-esteem and leadership, ” said Neal-Goulet. “Many of my former players are now coaches on the high school and at the college level. “Throughout my career and various roles, I played a pivotal part in promoting girls basketball, ensuring it is accessible, enjoyable and competitive. This not only helps in increasing the number of participants but also in enhancing the overall status of girls and women sports.”

Neal-Goulet is now working as a teacher at the CREC Magnet School in Hartford after a nine-year stint at the Hartford Juvenile Detention Center. “After being in the fitness industry for 18 years, I decided that I wanted to become a teacher and work with at-risk students, ” said Neal-Goulet. “I wanted to be a positive role model and help guide them to become a positive member of society. “The detention center was the best job I ever had. I learned a lot about kids and what was going on through their lives. I respected them. Every so often, I would see some of them now, and they say, “If it wasn’t for you Miss G, I wouldn’t have made it.’ I knew the job was right for me because of the connections I made with the young people … Now in a magnet school (environment), I have met my goals and will continue on this path.”

Her recognition goes way beyond the court, earning honors such as the State Embrace Collaborative Award, ECE Award presented by Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz for work with mental illness and working with Attorney General William Tong on the Opioid collaborative.

Neal-Goulet and her wife, Anne, have three children, Carolyn, 19, a college student at Three Rivers College, and 17-year-old twins Mercury and Shayne.