Delaney Continues to Serve
Feb. 22, 2012 — Bob Delaney is retired, but he is not idle. The longtime former NBA referee spent part of February in Kabul, Afghanistan, helping the Amateur Athletic Union mentor more than 150 Afghan coaches and sports administrators.
Delaney, recipient of NASO’s Gold Whistle Award in 2003, is an ambassador for NBA Cares. He was one of seven AAU representatives and conducted a session on sports leadership with basketball, volleyball, soccer and taekwondo coaches.
When the training sessions concluded, Delaney spent time with servicemen and women at several military bases in Kabul. He autographed copies of his books, “Covert” and “Surviving the Shadows.”
“It was a tremendous experience,” Delaney said. “The Afghan men and women athletes and coaches were eager to learn. They were enthusiastic, appreciative and serious about sports. They taught me a great deal. Their generosity was overwhelming.”
Oregon Proud to Host 2012 Summit
Feb. 21, 2012 - The Sports Officiating Summit has had the privilege of being hosted by fewer than half of our 50 United States. The 2012 Summit will have the unique distinction of returning to one of the states that hosted it in its early years. Oregon, and specifically the Portland Area, will again welcome the Summit from July 29-31. Making the return possible is the partnership between the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) and the Oregon Athletic Officials Association (OAOA). Together they will host the Summit and put on Officiate Oregon Day on July 28. Read Full Story
Leaders to Talk State of Officiating
Feb. 17, 2012 — The lunch hour on July 30 at the NASO Summit in Portland, Ore., will include a “state of the union” address on officiating from some of the top leaders in the industry during the “Officiating Industry Luncheon.” NASO President Barry Mano, NFHS Executive Director Bob Gardner and Oregon School Activities Association executive director Tom Welter will offer their thoughts on the current state of officiating.
Sports officiating has become an industry. The annual luncheon is an opportunity for leaders in the industry to speak. The Officiating Industry Luncheon is always one of the program highlights at the Summit.
Soccer Moms Receive Great Call Award
Feb. 17, 2012 — Sandee Ellender and Daria Hebert, both mothers of Vandebilt Catholic High School, Houma, La., soccer players, received NASO (National Association of Sports Officials) Great Call Awards for springing into action when the referee went down during their sons’ game. On Jan. 3, Hebert and Ellender were in the stands. They noticed a lot of players congregating toward the center of the field. They then noticed the referee had gone down and immediately ran to his aid. Hebert started performing CPR on referee Tommy Manor while Ellender assisted. Their efforts kept Manor, a longtime soccer official, alive and stable while they waited for further assistance from paramedics.
NASO presents the Great Call Award to individuals and organizations that make a “great call” on behalf of NASO or sports officials in general. Their assistance in saving the life of Manor warranted such an award.
American Specialty Insurance's Drew Smith to Talk Insurance at Summit
Feb. 15, 2012 — The always-popular legal session will take on a new flavor this year at the NASO Summit in Portland, Ore. American Specialty Insurance’s Drew Smith will address the importance of officiating insurance during a half-hour session. Security, affordability and comprehensiveness – the vital attributes of an officiating insurance program worth the name. Any game, any level, any time – that is the promise fulfilled by the NASO insurance program.
As Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at American Specialty Insurance & Risk Services, Inc., Smith is the leading authority on insurance protection for sports officials.
NASO Summit Session to Address Media Management
Feb. 14, 2012 — Following an opening keynote by NFL referee and NASO board member Jeff Triplette, the first panel session of the 2012 Summit in Portland, Ore. will jump right in with discussion on “How the Media is Changing Officiating.” Return on investment equals a better officiating product for the resources available. That is the goal. The excellence of superior officiating performance has never been more acute. Hear how to get more return for your efforts — regardless of the size of your budget.
NASO President Barry Mano will be asking the tough questions as moderator of the session. The panel is expected to include Fox’s Mike Periera; NCAA Division I men’s basketball official John Higgins; Michigan High School Athletic Association Executive Director Jack Roberts; and Kevin Weiberg, Pac-12 deputy commissioner/chief operating officer.
Oakland-area Umpires Association Joins NASO
Feb. 14, 2012 — The North East Bay Umpires Association (NEBUA) has become the latest officials association to take advantage of NASO’s group membership plan. NASO provides a price break in the cost of an annual membership thanks to members joining as a group.
NEBUA, located in the Oakland, Calif., area, is one of 11 officials associations in the North Coast Section of California Interscholastic Federation. It services schools in Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Marin County and Solano County (Alameda, Berkeley, Richmond, El Cerrito, Pinole, Antioch, Concord, Pittsburg, Albany, Crockett, Piedmont, Oakland, Vallejo, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Walnut Creek, Orinda, Danville, San Rafael, Ross, Kentfield, Novato, Larkspur, San Anselmo, Mill Valley).
NASO will design a benefit program that fits the needs of an association’s members. Leaders of associations with 25 or more members interested in having their chapter or conference staff join NASO as a group should contact Ken Koester at 262-632-5448, ext. 132.
McGee To Be Inducted Into North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
Feb. 10, 2012 — Wingate University president Dr. Jerry McGee, a former NASO board member, will be one of eight members inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame on May 10 at the 49th annual induction banquet in North Raleigh, N.C. McGee served on NASO’s board of directors from 2004-08.
McGee worked 400 games over 36 years as a major college football official and capped his career by serving as the field judge in the NCAA national championship after the 2008 season in Miami between Florida and Oklahoma. He was selected on two other occasions to officiate games which determined the NCAA Division I national championship.
McGee, Monroe, N.C., joined Wingate as the school’s 13th president in 1992. He was inducted into the Wingate University Sports Hall of Fame last October. Also, McGee is a member of the South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame and the Union County Business Leaders Hall of Fame. He is a recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest honor bestowed to N.C. citizens.
Online Registration for 2012 Summit is Open
Online Registration is now open for the 2012 NASO Sports Officiating Summit. The registration page can be found here.
As with previous years, early bird registration offers the best possible registration price, but only for a limited time. Installment billing is available for the first time, to allow individuals and organizations to manage their budgets better. This feature is only available through phone registration, however, please call 800-733-6100 x124 for details. Read Full Story.
Marriott Corporation Named 2012 Medallion Recipient
Feb. 9, 2012 — Marriott Corporation, one of the longest-standing partners of NASO, will be recognized for its contributions by receiving the Mel Narol Medallion Award. Read Full Story.
Hayes to Break Down Super Bowl Call at the Summit
Feb. 8, 2012 — NFL referee and former NASO board member Laird Hayes was recently confirmed as a panelist for the 2012 Summit. His superb call in the final minutes of Super Bowl XLVI brought a lot of pride to the officiating community. On the New York Giants’ game-winning drive, Eli Manning threw a 38-yard pass down the sideline to Mario Manningham, and Hayes called the difficult play a catch. After a challenge from New England, referee John Parry confirmed that the call was correct.
Hayes will break down the decision-making process during the “Break the Play Down” Summit session. Getting the play right is job number-one for any official. You’ll get insider information of what actually happened. The pressure, the play, the thought process and the call — real officiating in real time.
American Specialty Insurance is Proud to Support the 2012 Summit
Feb. 7, 2012 — American Specialty Insurance and Risk Services (ASI), which underwrites all NASO insurance programs, announced its return as a Summit Support Organization for the 2012 Sports Officiating Summit in Portland, Ore., July 29-31.
Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Drew Smith said, "The Summit provides an opportunity for officials and officiating leaders to gain an unparalleled amount of knowledge and expertise that can be shared with their fellow officials back home. The more knowledgeable and prepared officials become, the more this benefits the officials themselves, players, coaches, fans and administrators. American Specialty is proud to support such an event.”
ASI provides unique coverage to NASO as well as sports and entertainment organizations across America. Their motto sums up their mission: “Insuring America’s Pastimes and Future Times.” To learn more about ASI, go to www.amerspec.com. You can also learn all about NASO insurance and coverage for officials here.
Cliff Keen Athletic returns as Summit Support Organization for 2012
Feb. 3, 2012 — NASO announces Cliff Keen Athletic will be returning for the fifth consecutive year as a Summit Support Organization for the 30th Sports Officiating Summit being held in Portland, OR July 29-31, 2012.
"Cliff Keen has been a proud supporter of the NASO for years now. Where else can you find all of the top decision makers in officiating together in one place, exchanging ideas and methodologies? The NASO Summit is a tremendous forum for growing the outreach of sports officials" said Chad Clark, Vice President at Cliff Keen Athletic.
Cliff Keen Athletic is a leading supplier of officiating gear and apparel. Founded by legendary wrestling coach and innovator Cliff Keen, Cliff Keen Athletic continues to develop products on the cutting edge of function and technology. Visit www.CliffKeen.com to view their entire lineup.
Minneapolis Association Joins as Group
Feb. 2, 2012 — A number of members with the Minneapolis Officials Association (MOA) have recently taken advantage of NASO’s group membership plan and also received a break in the cost of an annual membership.
The MOA consists of more than 200 members and a group of those members chose to join NASO last fall. In addition to taking advantage of a special rate in the group membership plan, MOA members who joined NASO also receive such benefits as NASO’s unparalleled liability insurance coverage, Referee magazine, educational materials, discounts with major officiating suppliers and advocacy on behalf of sports officials.
NASO will design a benefit program that fits the needs of an association’s members. Leaders of associations with 25 or more members interested in having their chapter or conference staff join NASO as a group should contact Ken Koester, business development specialist, at 262-632-5448, ext. 132.
Gregson to Receive NASO Gold Whistle Award
Feb. 1, 2012 — Terry Gregson, senior vice president and director of officiating for the NHL and former on-ice official, has been selected by the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) as the recipient of this year’s Gold Whistle Award, which is officiating’s highest honor.
“When you get told something like that, you suddenly think back to all those times — to what you were doing it for,” Gregson said. “When something like that comes along, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey and (the award) just makes it that much better.” Read Full Story.
Hayes to Work Third Super Bowl
Jan. 31, 2012 — Former NASO board member Laird Hayes has been named as side judge for Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis Feb. 5. Hayes, Newport Beach, Calif., served on NASO’s board of directors from 1984-88.
Hayes, 61, is in his 16th season as an NFL official. Referee John Parry heads the seven-man crew, which also includes umpire Carl Paganelli, head linesman Tom Stabile, line judge Gary Arthur, field judge Gary Cavaletto and back judge Tony Steratore. All of the officials are NASO members.
It’s the third Super Bowl assignment for Hayes, who also worked Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004 and Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002.
Hayes wears uniform number 125.
Jeff Triplette to Speak at Summit
Jan. 30, 2012 — NFL referee and NASO board member Jeff Triplette will be kicking off the educational portion of the Summit in Portland, Ore., on Monday, July 30, at 8 a.m. as the speaker for the first session: “Improve the Officiating ROI.”
Return on investment equals a better officiating product for the resources available. That is the goal. The expectation of superior officiating performance has never been more acute. In the opening session, Triplette will break down the standards in officiating. Learn how to uncover, recognize and reward officials who are working smarter!
Fox 40 Celebrates 25 Years in 2012
Jan. 2, 2012 — Ron Foxcroft, founder and CEO of Fox 40 International and special advisor for the NASO board of directors, has always adhered to a promise that he made more than 25 years ago after he and design engineer Chuck Shepherd finally settled on the prototype whistle they were ready to unveil to sports officials, mainly college basketball referees. In a nutshell, the promise was “improvement.”
Foxcroft and Shepherd spent about three-and-a-half years together designing the first Fox 40 whistle in Stoney Creek, Ontario. Foxcroft invested about $100,000 from his own private funds and, in 1987, created Fox 40 International Inc. The whistle is a plastic-molded injection process that is ultrasonically welded together, rather than glued. There were 14 prototypes, “and a lot of heartache,” says Foxcroft. But when the two settled on a pealess whistle that would become an instant hit with sports officials, Shepherd had one request for Foxcroft. The engineer stood up, looked Foxcroft in the eyes and asked to shake his hand. “You know, I’m associated with over 200 successful commercial products,” he said to Foxcroft. “Ron, we have just designed the best whistle in the world. Will you promise me that you will dedicate your life to improving it?”
The Fox 40 Pealess Whistle was a success from the first time it was used, at the 1987 Pan Am Games in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Police Department soon became interested in using the new whistle. It was used at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and by 1990, the pealess whistle was tested by the NHL and had become the whistle of choice for the NBA, NCAA and NFL. Read Full Story.
NASO Membership Grows Significantly in 2011
Jan. 1, 2012 — NASO membership reached close to 19,000 officials by the end of December, which is a significant increase from its January 2011 mark of roughly 16,900 members.
It is the highest NASO membership has been in many years. Ten local associations and college conference officials’ staffs joined NASO as a group in 2011, which helped to increase membership numbers.
If you as an individual official or your association as a group are interested in NASO membership, click here for more details.
Former Board Member Zaborniak Wraps Up Big Ten Career
Dec. 22, 2011 — Henry Zaborniak, Pickerington, Ohio, has wrapped up a 15-year career as a Big Ten football official. The former NASO board member, who serves as an assistant commissioner for the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA), worked his final regular-season game Nov. 19, 2011, as Northwestern defeated Minnesota. His career ended on a high note Jan. 6 when he was selected to serve as an alternate at the Cotton Bowl.
“I was very pleased (to get the bowl assignment),” he said. “They certainly didn’t have to put me on that. They could have used a younger guy.”
It wasn’t the first high-profile assignment for Zaborniak. “I had Notre Dame-USC three times and Michigan-Michigan State four times,” he recalls. “I had every rivalry game in the Big Ten except for Michigan-Ohio State.”
Zaborniak found humor in that as well. “Every crew I left, the next year, they got the Michigan-Ohio State game. So maybe I was holding them back,” he said with a laugh. Read Full Story.
Portland to Host 2012 Sports Officiating Summit
Dec. 20, 2011 -- The 2012 Sports Officiating Summit has been set for July 29-31 in Portland, Ore., at the Downtown Marriott Waterfront. The theme for the 30th NASO Summit is "Taking Care of Business : Reliability and Results in Officiating."
For officials, taking care of business involves both action on the playing field or court and doing the right things on the sidelines as well. “The theme for the 2012 Sports Officiating Summit was chosen in order that new ground will be broken,” said NASO President Barry Mano.
“For a number of years we at NASO have felt that a more business-like approach to officiating, both the practice and administration of, would help to raise officiating to new and necessary levels," he said. "The sports environment today demands a level of performance, accountability and consistency that makes the old way of doing things practically obsolete.” Read Full Story.
College Basketball Officials Association Members Join NASO
Dec. 19, 2011 — One of the latest groups of officials to team with NASO is the College Basketball Officials Association (CBOA). Many of its members have taken advantage of the exclusive benefits that NASO has to offer and have received a break in the cost of an annual membership thanks to the CBOA.
The CBOA, which consists of about 200 members and is based in Princeton, La., contributed $27 toward the group membership rate for each official who chose to join NASO last fall. With that rate members receive such benefits as NASO’s unparalleled liability insurance coverage, Referee magazine, educational materials, discounts with major officiating suppliers and advocacy on behalf of sports officials. Read Full Story.
NASO Participates in ACC Football Officiating Clinic
Dec. 15, 2011 — The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Football Officials’ Mini-Clinic on in early December provided officials of all levels a great educational opportunity at a minimal cost. The ACC staff provided training and networking opportunities for 500 youth, high school and small college football officials in attendance. All officials were also able to attend the ACC championship game that evening. Read Full Story.
Three Local Associations Join NASO En Masse
Dec. 10, 2011 — NASO recently welcomed to the family three local associations that chose to have all of their officials become members. The associations represent both ends of the map. The San Fernando Valley Football Officials Association (SFVFOA) and the Channel Coast Football Officials Association (CCFOA) are based in California. The Staten Island Soccer Referees Association is in New York state. Read Full Story.