The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) will hold its 13th annual Officials Conference on Friday and Saturday, July 20-21 in Peoria. The event will unfold at the Four Points by Sheraton and the Peoria Civic Center.
The Officials Conference is expected to draw over 500 IHSA officials to Peoria, where they will team with other officials to contribute in general & sport-specific workshops, reflect on their experiences to help teach others and participate in networking activities. Walk-up registration is welcome for any official who does not register in advance.
“We are one of the few high school state associations in the country who have an official’s education program of this magnitude,” said IHSA Assistant Executive Director Craig Anderson. “We have worked very hard on the Officials Conference curriculum and offerings. Our goal is to improve the event each year by adding new and relevant topics and speakers. We look forward to another successful event in 2012.”
The conference begins Friday with educational sessions for IHSA officials serving as Clinicians and also features a golf outing at Coyote Creek Golf Course in Bartonville Friday morning. Following conference registration, Friday evening features a workshop for first-time officials in all sports and an opening session that will honor all of the state final officials from2011-12. The opening session concludes with keynote speaker Tom Quinn, a former Big Ten football official from Chicago who worked the Rose Bowl in 1986.
Saturday will be comprised of over 40 breakout sessions in 11 IHSA sports, ranging from topics such as “How to mentor a track official”, “Video training for improvement” and “Minimizing exposure to litigation.”
"I look forward to attending and participating in the IHSA Officials Conference every year,” said
Roger Nichols, an IHSA basketball and softball official from Normal. “It is always exciting for me to see participants engage in discussions and come away being a more knowledgeable official. It is also a unique opportunity to meet and network with officials from all over the state.”
The 2012 IHSA Officials Conference culminates with a reception and awards program early Saturday evening. The honorees include officials who reached milestone years of service (15 years, 25, 30, 40, 50) and the IHSA Officials of the Year (listed below).
2012 IHSA OFFICIALS OF THE YEAR
Bill Book, Football, Fairfield
Albert Wienke, Boys Swimming & Diving, Mokena
Joe Plack, Girls Swimming & Diving, Deerfield
Gene Matlock, Boys Soccer, St. Louis
Joseph Heyden, Girls Soccer, Collinsville
Janice McGeary , Boys Volleyball, Frankfort
Albert Huber, Girls Volleyball, Bartonville
Galen Bennett, Cross Country, Byron
Leonard Romuar, Competitive Cheerleading, Arlington Heights
Betty Bennett, Girls Gymnastics, East Dundee
Randy Gentile, Boys Gymnastics, Elmhurst
Gary Gullett, Boys Basketball, Byron
Sal Vasta, Girls Basketball, Elmhurst
James Chaloupka, Wrestling, Berwyn
Owen Fuller, Boys Track & Field, Marseilles
Geza Entrentreu, Girls Track & Field, Rockford
Robert Engel, Baseball, Chatham
Christopher Smith, Softball, Macomb
Glenn Gabriel, Water Polo, Hickory Hills