Alexander Selected for 2010 NASO Gold Whistle Award
RACINE, Wis. — Emily Alexander, one of the most respected umpires and clinicians in softball history, was selected by the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) as the recipient of its 2010 NASO Gold Whistle Award.
“Emily’s selection was unanimous with our awards committee and with the NASO board of directors,” said Barry Mano, NASO president. “It was a slam dunk. Emily has given so much to help softball umpiring become more professional and more effective that to not recognize her with our Gold Whistle Award would have been derelict of us. She fully represents the very qualities and accomplishments for which the Gold Whistle Award was created.”
Alexander, a Phoenix resident, will receive the award July 27 at a banquet that serves as the culmination to the 2010 NASO Sports Officiating Summit.
The Summit is July 25-27 at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center. Alexander will be the second woman to receive the Gold Whistle Award.
Marcy Weston, former NCAA national coordinator of women’s basketball officiating, was selected in 2008.
“It is such an honor,” Alexander said. “I’m still having trouble wrapping my mind around the thought that I’m really going to receive the prestigious Gold Whistle Award. It seems unbelievable.”
Some of the other recognitions Alexander has received during her career include inductions to the ASA Hall of Fame, the ASA National Indicator Fraternity and the Arizona Softball Hall of Fame. She was also selected as one of the 52 Most Influential in Officiating History by Referee magazine. Currently a regional coordinator in the NCAA Softball Umpire Improvement Program, Alexander has positively influenced the rules writing and mechanics development for high school and college softball and has trained thousands of umpires. On the field, she has worked numerous men’s and women’s national championships, umpired in the Olympics and other international tournaments and has umpired the NCAA Division I College World Series 10 times. She continues to work high school games.
The NASO Gold Whistle Award, which is officiating’s highest honor and recognizes significant contributions to the betterment of officiating, was created in 1988 by the NASO board of directors. Some of the previous NASO Gold Whistle Award recipients include: NCAA Division I men’s basketball official Ed Hightower; former NFL officials Jim Tunney, Tom Dooley, Bob McElwee and Jerry Markbreit; former NBA official Tommy Nunez and current NBA official Bob Delaney; and former major league umpire Larry Young. Last year, Mills Lane, former judge and boxing referee, received the award.