A Program You Won’t Find Anywhere Else!

Bob Delaney

Longtime NBA referee Bob Delaney knows a thing or two about leadership – on the court and off it. Not only an NBA crew chief, Delaney spent the first half of his working life as a New Jersey State trooper, working undercover to bring down key mob figures and then serving as a hostage negotiator. Here, he sets the stage for our two-day discussion on leadership officiating, showing how to bring out the leader in any official and illuminating the differences between a leader and a manager. You’ll discover the many ways leadership skills carry through your life and how they especially serve you in officiating.

Bill Carollo Joe Crawford Rich Garcia Bill Topp

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to hear the secrets of the very best officials working at the highest levels of competition. Among the lead officials featured are NFL referee Bill Carollo, who officiated Super Bowls XXX and XXXVII; NBA referee Joe Crawford, a man who has worked the NBA finals 19 straight years and retired Major League Baseball umpire and current umpire supervisor Rich Garcia, who umpired four World Series. Referee magazine Vice President Bill Topp moderates this no-holds barred discussion on what makes lead officials tick.

Jon Bible Dale Kelley Ken Allan Barry Mano Mary Struckhoff

Let’s face it, compared to years past there is a lot more expected of officials. Not only is there an increased emphasis on training and education, but these days it seems we officials are expected to be part medical doctor, part meteorologist, part fashion police and most anything else that’s convenient to foist on us that has nothing to do with actual officiating. How and why we’re being saddled with all sorts of additional responsibilities – and the potential legal liability that accompanies each – are the key questions addressed by our panel consisting of NASO President Barry Mano, NFHS Assistant Executive Director Mary Struckhoff, Southland Conference Baseball Umpire Supervisor and Big 12 football referee Jon Bible, Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officials for five NCAA Division I conferences Dale Kelley and moderator Ken Allan, an NCAA Division I baseball umpire and radio personality.

Steven Ellinger Alan Goldberger Lowell Gratigny

We touched on the potential liabilities associated with officiating in the "It’s a Whole New Ballgame" session. Now, you have the opportunity to get any and all of your legal officiating questions answered by some of NASO’s Legal Information and Consultation Program (LICP) experts. Alan Goldberger, amateur sports official and New Jersey attorney specializing in sports officiating and the law, and Lowell Gratigny, American Specialty Insurance Services, Inc., senior vice president of litigation management, join moderator Steven Ellinger, Houston area attorney and associate director of the Texas Association of Sports Officials. You won’t get this kind of free access to important legal advice often, so come prepared with your questions.

Marcia Alterman Jerry Bovee Dr. Marty Hickman Jim Jorgensen Tim Millis

Whose job is it to take the lead on behalf of officials? Our immediate supervisor is often a local assigner, but is it reasonable to expect someone who fills game assignments to lead? What role do local associations, state associations and other local and national groups have? Where can working officials turn for leadership? Moderator Marcia Alterman, Professional Association of Volleyball Officials executive director, leads the debate among panelists Illinois High School Association Executive Director Dr. Marty Hickman, Big 12 Supervisor of Football Officials Tim Millis, Southern California high school officials’ assigner Jim Jorgensen and Utah High School Activities Association Assistant Director Jerry Bovee.

Jim Arehart Esse Baharmast Tom Lepperd Dave Parry Ralph Swearngin

When the NFL pioneered the use of instant video replay technology back in 1986, it was a revolution in the way people viewed sports and officials called games. Since then, video technology has popped up in the NBA, NCAA basketball and football and the NHL, and it’s been a talking point in nearly every other sport and competition level – including high school games. How long before replay makes its way to that level? Panelists Ralph Swearngin, Georgia High School Association executive director; Tom Lepperd, Major League Baseball director of umpire administration; Esse Baharmast, USSF director of advanced and international referee development; and Dave Parry, Big 10 supervisor of football officials, as well as moderator Jim Arehart, Referee magazine senior managing editor, discuss the pros and cons of the all-seeing video replays – and when you’ll see them in your games.

Unwind after day one of the NASO Summit over cocktails and conversation with any one of nine hot officiating topics, such as sportsmanship, recruiting and retention, selecting postseason officials and local association management. Select a seat from a variety of tables, each manned by a topic facilitator. This free-flowing happy-hour setting event allows you to set up camp at any one of the tables or move around gleaning a little something from each topic of conversation.

Dr. George Thompson

You may have heard of Verbal Judo before now and it would be no surprise since it has been around for 23 years and is used by more than 700 law enforcement agencies worldwide. For the first time Dr. George Thompson, founder and president of the Verbal Judo Institute, brings his proven seminar on conflict resolution to sports officiating. He’ll teach you skills for defusing a heated conversation with a coach or a player quickly, effectively and non-confrontationally. He’ll also show you when it’s time to stop talking and act.

Larry Boucher Mike Pereira Joan Powell Marcy Weston Dave Yeast

You’re an assigner, supervisor, commissioner, local association board member or a crew chief and you have any number of officials you are responsible for. How do you get a disparate group of individuals to all follow the leader? That’s the question posed to our panelists NFL Director of Officiating Mike Pereira, NCAA National Coordinator of Baseball Umpires Dave Yeast, NFHS Basketball Rules Chair and Kentucky High School Athletic Association Assistant Commissioner Larry Boucher and NCAA Coordinator of Women’s Basketball Officials Marcy Weston, along with moderator Professional Association of Volleyball Officials President Joan Powell.

Keith Zirbel

When it comes to officials, supervisors probably have a few things to get off their chests. When it comes to supervisors, officials probably have a few things to get off theirs. No matter what areas of officiating you’re involved in – assigning, local association leadership, the state office, oncourt or onfield officiating – everyone has gripes. Here’s your chance to talk about them. But don’t think this is just an exercise in catharsis. We’ll also talk solutions. Join Referee Assistant Editor Keith Zirbel as he identifies the major problem areas and looks for potential solutions to those problems.

Join us as we gather to honor one of our own for outstanding service to the community of mankind. This year’s honoree joins an elite group of past winners of officiating’s most coveted award. You’ll find a special kind of satisfaction in discovering a fellow official whose story of self-sacrifice and dedication makes you proud to be part of the officiating community.

Let’s get down to the nuts and bolts of officiating with these six sessions, running concurrently in separate rooms. This is your opportunity to sit down with a roomful of officials from your chosen sport, talking rules, mechanics, philosophy, hot issues, anything having to do with baseball or football or … well, you get the idea.

Ronnie Carter Jerry McGee Anita Ortega Jerry Seeman Jeffrey Stern

Whether you’re a working official or officiating administrator, you won’t want to miss this finale. Referee magazine Senior Editor Jeffrey Stern moderates as panelists Ronnie Carter, Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association executive director; Jerry McGee, Wingate University president and major college football official; Anita Ortega, major college women’s basketball official, and Jerry Seeman, NFL officiating consultant, NASO chair and former NFL senior director of officiating, discuss each of the eight critical challenges and why we must all address them today. What are the eight challenges? You’ll have to come to Salt Lake City to find out!