RACINE, Wis. — Recipients for the 2026 NASO Awards have been announced. All three awards will be presented at the Celebrate Officiating Gala sponsored by Fox 40 International on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 as part of the NASO Sports Officiating Summit in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Gold Whistle Award®:
Rich Fetchiet(Ann Arbor, Mich.) — Longtime college baseball umpire who worked many of the sport’s premier events, including the Men’s College World Series, the Pan American Games, the World Championships, the World Cup of Baseball and the Olympic Games. A respected advocate for umpires and a model of integrity in college baseball, he has mentored and trained generations of officials. Founder of the Collegiate Baseball Umpires Alliance (CBUA), dedicated to the education, training, evaluation and assignment of umpires at the NCAA, NAIA and junior college levels. He also serves as coordinator of baseball umpires for the Big Ten and Big 12 conferences. Honors include induction into the College Baseball Foundation Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame’s Michigan Treasure Award in 2023. Served on the NASO Board of Directors from 2012–2016.
Mel Narol Medallion:
Referee Enterprises Inc. (Racine, Wis.) — Publishers of Referee magazine, the leading voice of sports officials since 1976. In 2026, the organization celebrates 50 years of service to the sports officiating industry. Since 1980, through a management agreement, it has handled the day-to-day operations of the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) and its more than 32,000 members. The organization partners with the NFHS, state high school associations, national governing bodies and many other organizations to support the education and training of sports officials through the publication and development of newsletters, books, training manuals, testing materials, video resources and online courses.
Inspire Award:
The Bieniewicz Family (Westland, Mich.) — Kris (wife) and sons Josh and Kyle suffered the tragic loss of their husband and father, John Bieniewicz, after he was attacked while refereeing a 2014 adult soccer match in the Michigan United Soccer League. He later died from his injuries. In honor of his father and the avocation he loved so dearly, Kyle continued to referee soccer following John’s passing. The Bieniewicz family has remained strong advocates for sports officials, actively supporting legislative efforts in Michigan to increase penalties for assaults on officials. They have also established a scholarship fund in John’s memory. For more information or to contribute, visit the John Bieniewicz Memorial Scholarship Foundation website.
For additional details and to learn more about the award recipients, visit the Sports Officiating Summit website.
The Gold Whistle Award, the highest honor in officiating, has been awarded annually since 1988 and recognizes an individual or organization who has made significant contributions to the betterment of officiating, demonstrated a high degree of integrity and ethics, has a consistent record of presenting officiating in a positive light and has exhibited a service-above-self attitude.
The Mel Narol Medallion recognizes an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to the betterment of NASO. These activities include organizational leadership, education, training, promotion of officiating and other events. The award is named for Mel Narol, a longtime legal columnist and consultant to NASO, who died in 2002. Narol received the award posthumously in 2003, when the Medallion was named in his honor.
The NASO Inspire Award is presented to those, who by their actions, bring about inspiration, pride and a confirmation of the values cherished by the officiating community. Candidates can be those who are exemplary in their roles of training, educating and supporting sports officials or can also be those who, while not from within the officiating community, confirm the values of the highest ethical standard, integrity, fairness and impartiality.
Fox 40 International is the premier producer of officiating whistles. The complete line of Fox 40 products includes whistles for all uses, whistle attachments, Fox 40 gear, pro coaching boards, mouthguards and marine & outdoor products. Fox 40 continues to invest in new technology, designs and machinery, resulting in many new products being launched each year. Fox 40 has sponsored the Celebrate Officiating Gala and the Gold Whistle Award for more than two decades.
Contact: Joe Jarosz
Associate Editor
Referee Magazine/National Association of Sports Officials
jjarosz@referee.com
About the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO)
NASO, based in Racine, Wis., is a not-for-profit educational organization and is the world’s largest organization for sports officials at every level and all sports. 32,000 sports officials from around the world belong to NASO, enjoying member benefits and supporting an organization that advocates for sports officials and that helps them maintain the highest level of officiating skills. Founded in 1980, NASO is governed by a 12-member board of directors coming from numerous sports and organizations. For more information, visit the NASO website at NASO.org.
