2012 IHSA Officials Conference Set For July 20-21 In Peoria

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 in 2011-12. 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.

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