The purpose of the alliance is to provide vision and direction for the training of sports officials at all levels.

The NASO OTA’s inaugural meeting was conducted June 25, 1999, in Racine, Wis. The event brought together the officiating community’s leadership to begin an examination of the state of officiating training and to determine what improvements are necessary.

For the first time in history, the top officiating leaders from Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL) were gathered in the same room to discuss officiating training. In addition, representatives from the collegiate, high school and recreational levels were also participants.

At its first meeting, the OTA made several important conclusions regarding officiating training.

1) The various institutions governing sports must give more recognition to the importance of officiating education programs.

2) Officiating education must be competency based.

3) At virtually all levels there is a strong need to lobby for the importance of improved training.

4) A campaign is necessary to improve the image of sports officials.

5) Training programs need effective delivery systems that are technologically up to date.

6) A common code of officiating ethics is essential.

7) A program to recognize officiating excellence must be developed.

8) A training infrastructure must be put in place that facilitates the funding, distribution and overall execution of modern officiating training programs.

9) A blue-ribbon committee that meets regularly should be formed to carry out the above visions.

"By the end of the afternoon it was clear that this was not a one-day project," said Barry Mano, President of NASO. "We concluded that this group should continue its work as it is uniquely positioned to contribute mightily to the betterment of the profession of officiating."

The NASO OTA will conduct its second meeting on June 23, as part of NASO’s "Successful Officiating 2000" conference in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Antlers Adam’s Mark Hotel will be the host site.

Those who participated in the first OTA session were: Sandy Alderson, Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations for MLB; Dean Crowley, Retired Commissioner of the California Interscholastic Federation — Southern Section; Ron Foxcroft, President of Fox 40 International, Inc., and member of the NASO board; Gary Gullett, President of the Rockford (Ill.) Officials Association and NASO board member; Tom Herre, Referee Enterprises Vice President and Director of Business Operations; Alfred Kleinaitis, United States Soccer Federation Manager of Referee Development & Education; Barry Mano, Referee magazine publisher and NASO President; Rainer Martens, Founder and President of Human Kinetics, Inc.; Jeff McDorman, President of the Racine (Wis.) Lakeshore Officials Association; Ralph Nelson, Special Assistant to Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations for MLB; D. Michael Pfahl, Vice President of the National Alliance for Youth Sports; Ed Rush, NBA Director of Officials and NASO Chair; Jerry Seeman, NFL Senior Director of Officials; Mary Struckhoff, Associate Director at the National Federation of State High School Associations; Bill Topp, Referee Editor; and Marcy Weston, NCAA National Coordinator of Women’s Basketball Officiating and NASO board member.