IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
Bd 10.COMmuniqué Hustling in Transition We’re not referring to hustling as you transition from the trail to the new lead as the play heads up court, though that’s always a good idea. The “transition” we have in mind is what happens this time of year when we are in a transitional period between the end of one high school season and the beginning of a new one. This is the time to work on your “transition game” – i.e., folPhoto courtesy Mike D’Avino, lowing an offseason physical condiSportsPageMagazine.com tioning regimen, fine tuning your game by officiating throughout the offseason months, be it AAU, summer leagues or fall leagues. It means going to camps and clinics and taking advantage of the myriad opportunities available to you to help you improve. It means self-appraisal, taking stock of and identifying your strengths and weaknesses and selecting what to work on for next season. This is also a transition period for Board 10 as an organization. Each year brings changes in how we do things that hopefully will strengthen our Board and better support our members. For example, the Better Officiating Committee has been retooled with a new chairman in Mike Scanlon who is reviving our mentor/mentee program. (cont. on p. 2)
Also this issue... • BOC under new leadership • State Tournament wrapup • Update from the State • Fundraising events • IAABO camp experience • CT AAU Excellence in Officiating Award • Board 10 honorees • Greater Hartford Pro-Am • News & Notes • President’s Message • Commissioner’s Commentary • The Doctor is In • Member Profile: Deb Narowski • Ask the Interpreter Click any headline to go to the article
Officiating fees on the rise for 2013-14 For the first time, officiating fees for varsity basketball games will top the $90 mark in the upcoming 2013-14 season. The CIAC reports that, overall, varsity game fees for all sports have increased $13 since 2004-05 and sub-varsity fees have gone up $8 during that same time period. In fact, officiating fees in Connecticut have increased for 18 straight years and are among the highest in the country. Basketball officials are the second highest paid in the State, trailing only ice hockey. While we don’t (hopefully) officiate primarily for the money, it’s still nice to know that we are well compensated for doing something that we love. Here are the new basketball game fees for next season: Regular Season: Varsity: $91.32, Sub-varsity: $59.23 State Tournament: Playdown through quarter finals: $101.99 Semifinals: $109.20, Finals: $127.04, Alternate: $97.21 !
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
Hustling in Transition ... (cont. from p.1) Accordingly, here at Bd10.COMMuniqué, we’re working on our transition game – namely, catching up on unfinished business such as recapping the state tournament – plus recognizing all our tournament officials as well as the award winners from our end-of-season banquet. We’ve got lots to report in terms of other rewards and recognition for our colleagues who’ve earned it by virtue of their hard work, dedication, and outstanding performances on and off the court. We will also provide news you can use during this offseason transitional period to help you prepare for 2013-14. We’ve got a summer health tip from Dr. Dan that is absolute must-reading. It could save you from serious illness or worse brought about by overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. We have reports on some highly productive fundraisers for worthy causes thanks to the volunteer efforts of our members. Have a great and productive offseason and continue to work on your “transition game.”
Better Officiating Committee under new leadership The torch has been passed to Mike Scanlon, who succeeds Joe Kepics as chairman of the Better Officiating Committee (BOC). We thank Joe for his service as chair and his continued service as an Observer and as a consultant to the BOC. The BOC is responsible for, among other things, determining policy and guidelines for evaluation and promotion of officials, as well as spearheading developmental programs to train and help our fellow officials improve. Accordingly, the BOC is happy to announce the return of the Board 10 mentor/mentee program, whereby select sub-varsity officials with high potential are observed periodically throughout the season by veteran officials who offer detailed constructive critiques and provide coaching and counseling to help their mentees get to the next level. If you would like to learn more about the BOC or have suggestions, here is the committee roster: Chairman: Mike Scanlon Committee Members: Mike Blake, Bill DeMatteo, Judy Ruthko, Dan Scavone, Jeffrey Smith, Dan Tammaro, Ray Vanacore, and Steve Wodarski. Consultants: Tony Barbaro, Buddy Chernovetz, Joe Kepics, Steve Kirck II, Hank Luzzi, Tom Raucci, and Amado Vargas
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
State Tournament Wrap-up The CIAC state basketball finals had their fair share of drama, not the least of which was a buzzer-beating three point basket by Maria Weselvi to give Mercy a one-point victory for the girls LL championship. Our own Steve Kirck and Pat Paulson closed out their high school basketball officiating careers in style, working the Boys Class L final with Steve Kirck II rounding out the three-person crew in an exciting 3-point victory by Woodstock Academy over top-ranked Trinity Catholic. An in-depth article about that game and what a special night it was for Steve and Pat was written by Joel Cookson and is posted on the CIAC web site at: http://ciacsports.com/site/?p=3515. The article also appeared in the May-June 2013 issue of Class L Boys Final crew, le"-to-right: Dan Scavone IAABO’s Sportorials magazine. Board 10’s Judy Ruthko, (alternate), Pat Paulson, Steve Kirck, Steve Kirck II Dan Tammaro and Steve Wodarski officiated the girls Class S final, which Capital Prep won handily over Thomaston. Congratulations to all our tournament officials (see the list elsewhere in this issue of the newsletter). Here are the boys and girls finals’ results: Boys LL: #2 Hillhouse 52, #1 Fairfield Prep 42 Officials: Tim Vincent, Kevin Kobelski, Curt Vincente Boys L: #2 Woodstock Academy 52, #1 Trinity Catholic 49. Officials: Steve Kirck, Pat Paulson, Steve Kirck II (Dan Scavone alternate) Boys M: #5 Valley Regional 42, # 23 Weston 45 Officials: Charley Harback, Arthur Hamm, Aaron Lefkowski Boys S: #3 Granby 83, #25 Weaver 81 (Double overtime) Officials: Vin Hirschbeck, Joe Stage, Robert Davis !
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Girls LL: #1 Mercy 54, #2 Laurelton Hall 53 Officials: Andrew Savo, John Salerno, Charlene Shepard Girls L: #10 Farmington 49, #1 Bacon Academy 44 Officials: John Christos, Kim Bohannon, Rich Calitro Girls M: #1 Cromwell 42, #2 Notre Dame Fairfield 28 Officials: Henry Gunther, Michael Riley, Carl Sheppard Girls S: #1 Capital Prep 84, #3 Thomaston 55 Officials: Judy Ruthko, Dan Tammaro, Steve Wodarski
Photos courtesy of the CIAC
IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
Member-to-Member Mart
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
2013 CIAC STATE TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS from BOARD 10 Don Acerra
Mark Federico
Gary Rispoli
John Anquillare
Jim Frank
Judy Ruthko
Gary Aurio
Anthony Gambardella
Frank Savakis
Anthony Bagnoli
Mike Gambardella
Mike Scanlon
John Basso
Anthony Jones
Dave Scasino
Mike Blake
Steve Kirck
Dan Scavone
Al Carfora
Steve Kirck II
John Taft
Brad Chernovetz
Joe Latella
Dan Tammaro
Len Crone
Charlie Lee
Ray Vanacore
Dan Davis
Rick McInnis
George VanValkenburg
Bill DeMatteo
Frank Mohr
Jeff Weiner
Ron DeNuzzo
Bill Murphy
Steve Wodarski
Ron DiOrio
Pat Paulson
Ed Zelek
Jose Dos Santos
Ric Raffone, Jr.
Ralph Zingarella
Alternates: Dan Akier, Steve Cain, Brian Carroll, Scott Inman, Andrew Magazine, Lauren Silva Congratulations one and all!
AN OPEN LETTER TO MEMBERS OF NEW HAVEN BOARD #10 FROM STEVE KIRCK I sit down to write this letter with a combination of sadness (or maybe a better word is nostalgia) and pride. As most of you know, the 2012-2013 season was my 40th and final season as a member of the best high school IAABO Board in Connecticut......New Haven Board #10. As I reflect on the past 4 decades, my first thought is "where did the time go?" It seems like it was just yesterday that I was working Biddy Basketball games, CYO games and recreational games in West Haven. To think that it's now over is somewhat "mindboggling", however I know that my decision is in everyone's best interests and I am comfortable with that. First I want to thank the four Commissioners that I have worked for over the years - Rudy Canelli, Babe Amendola, Tony Barbaro and Buddy Chernovetz - for the faith and trust that you demonstrated in my abilities over the years by giving me the assignments that I worked. Also, a thank you to Board #10's Secretary-Treasurer extraordinaire - Hank Luzzi - for your unending commitment to the betterment of Board #10. To all the officials that I have worked with over the years -- thank you for all of your support, assistance and camaraderie over the years......not to mention all the times you made up for my physical and mental "moments” - senior and otherwise. To all the upcoming and younger officials -- enjoy what you are most qualified for and trained to do; take care of yourself physically and listen and learn from the veterans that Board #10 has available to offer you constructive comments. THANKS TO ALL FOR EVERYTHING AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN ACTION FROM THE STANDS IN THE FUTURE!!!! !
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
Member-to-Member Mart
Notre Dame High School of West Haven is still accepting applications for next year's freshmen class of 2017. Â Transfer students to other grades also welcome. For more information, visit http://www.notredamehs.com/admissions or contact Admissions Director Mr. Lino Izzo '00 at admissions@notredamehs.com or 203-933-1673. You can also visit Notre Dame's online home to view games and other school events at www.gogreenknights.com.
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
Update from the State Beyond rule changes and game fees, there are a few highly charged topics of interest that will be top-of-mind among high school sports administrators and officials. For insights on these topics, we spoke with Joe Tonelli, Director of the CIAC Officials Association and a member of the NFHS Officials Advisory Board.
Q: One topic that is receiving more widespread discussion and attention is whether and how to accommodate athletes with disabilities. What requirements are there, if any, on the part of schools and sports officials? Joe T: The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has ruled that a school district which offers extracurricular athletics must afford qualified students with disabilities an equal opportunity for participation. Now, this doesn’t mean that every student with a disability is guaranteed a spot on a team for which other students are trying out and that requires a certain level of skill. However, the school district must make reasonable modfiications or accommodations to ensure equal opportunity unless those modifications or accommodations fundamentally alter the game or cause a safety problem for the athlete or an opponent. Q: What would be a “reasonable accommodation”? Joe T: Let’s say a hearing-imparied student is on the track team. A reasonable accommmodation would be to allow a visual cue in addition to the starter’s pistol to signify the beginning of a race. Another example would be a swim meet. There are some excellent one-armed swimmers. The way to accommodate them would be to waive the rule requiring a two-hand touch finish. Neither of these accommodations would fundamentally alter the nature of the game or the competition or cause a safety issue for the athlete or an opponent. Both would give a student with a disability an equal opportunity to participate in the event or program. Q: How would this affect us as basketball officials? Joe T: On the high school level, probably not much, if at all. A student with a disability would have to demonstrate sufficient skill and ability to make a varsity team, for example. If such a student can’t make the team, there is no violation of the OCR rules and guidelines. Either way, you wouldn’t have to change how you officiate high school basketball games. But one of the great things about Connecticut is the wealth of opportunities to play basketball and other sports offered to kids with disabilities through the Unified Sports program for which so many of you donate your services. The CIAC works very closely with Special Olympics Connecticut and we work with schools that want to start or maintain a Unified Sports program and help them get grants to do so. Whatever their skill level, youngsters with disabilities have opportunities to be on teams and to play with and compete against others of a similar skill level. The program has grown by leaps and bounds and is highly successful, so much so that many other states are looking to follow our example. Whatever the sport or activity, if the participation of a student with a disability doesn’t significantly alter the game, you should try to allow the youngster to play. The bulk of the responsibiltiy for providing athletic opportunities for students with disabilities falls on the schools, not the sports officials, and most schools would explore every possible avenue to make such opportunities available, not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because they want to be in compliance with OCR regulations. (cont. on p. 9)
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
Update from the State ... (cont. from p. 8) Q: Another hot topic these days is the growing indicence of violence against sports officials. What is being done about that in Connecticut? Joe T: You’re correct in pointing out that violence against officials is on the rise and in some cases with tragic consequences, such as the death this past spring of a Utah soccer official, Ricardo Portillo, who was assaulted by a 17 year old player after Portillo issued him a yellow card. The blow to the head was so severe that Portillo slipped into a coma and later died. That story and other incidents of assaults on sports officials were featured in the May 13, 2013 edition of HBO’s “Real Sports.” There have been previous attempts to get Connecticut to pass legislation to protect sports officials, and the CIAC has supported those efforts. However no such bill has been passed to date. The most recently proposed bill passed in the House by an overwhelming margin, 141-3. But in the State Senate, the head of the judiciary committee single handledly prevented the bill from ever coming to the floor for a vote. His rationale was that there were already sufficient laws on the books with regard to assault and that there were too many protected classes. State Representatives Paul Davis from the 117th district (Milford, Orange and West Haven) and David Labriola from the 131st district (Naugatuck, Oxford and Southbury) plan to put a new bill up for consideration in the next legislative session. To make this effort successful will require the assistance of all our sports officials in the state. You should contact your state legislators and advocate for passage of the bill and you should do the same with Governor Malloy. Getting his support would be crucial. The other point I would make is that we need to do a better job of documenting assaults on sports officials. Too many of these incidents go unreported for a variety of reasons. The victim might be too embarrassed to report the assault. Or the attacker might be someone known to the official, even a friend, who begs the official not to press charges. While I hope you are never physically assaulted or are a victim of any form of violence while in the process of performing your officiating duties, if something does happen, I would hope you have the fortitude to report it. If we don’t do this, legislators may get the false impression that there is no problem with regard to violence against officials here in Connecticut. Q: Any other top-of-mind issues facing sports officials that you want to point out? Joe T: I would just remind you to use common sense and discretion with regard to social media. The CIAC issued a set of suggestions – I wouldn’t call them a policy or mandate – and they were published in the previous issue of your newsletter (March 2013). It would be helpful to you if you re-read those suggestions. Bottom line: Don’t put anything out there on Twitter or Facebook or in emails that refers to any games, teams, coaches, players, and other officials, that could come back to bite you. And never assume that any private communication you have with another individual via any form of social media will remain private.
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
Fun and fundraising for worthy causes Our members have been particularly generous this year with their their time and money to help colleagues in need, provide scholarships to deserving students, and fight the battle against cancer. Here is some of what we all have done. Officials vs. Cancer closes out on a high note Once again, Connecticut’s IAABO boards came through with impressive contributions to the Officials vs. Cancer campaign. Connecticut raised $35,511.87, which was the third highest total in the country, trailing only Massachusetts with $70,843.80 and Colorado with $43,708.72. The total raised by IAABO boards in the U.S. and Canada exceeded $181,000. Thanks to all who donated to the campaign. Bowling night strikes a positive note Board 10’s inaugural fundraiser produced $5,000. The event, a bowling night at the AMF Lanes in Milford, was our first such fundraiser and was run in cooperation with the New Haven football officials’ association. Dr. Dan Davis presented a check for $5,000 to the NFHOC board of directors. The money is intended to help fellow officials and/or their families who are in need either because of a serious illness, or death, or some other personal crisis. Thanks to all who bought tickets, whether you attended or not, and to everyone who donated items for raffle and auction. Also thanks to the committee who organized the event, including Dr. Dan, Cheryl McCarthy-Chiari, Al Carfora and Ralph Zingarella who coordinated with our football officiating colleagues. Second annual Chern Tournament a smashing success The second annual Chern Memorial Golf Outing took place on June 15th at the Ranch Golf Club in Southwick, Massachusetts. The event raised $8,000, which is double the amount raised last year when the tournament debuted, and that money will go to a scholarship fund in honor of the late Doug Chernovetz. Over 100 golfers played in the tournament. Thanks to the players and the organizers for a very successful event. Pictured, left-to-right: Jake Pulluzzi, Duke Higgins, Rich Smullen, Brad Chernovetz, and Reilly Chernovetz
State IAABO golf tourney was a winner The 2nd Annual CT IAABO State Golf Tournament was held on July 19th at the Fairview Farm Golf Course in Harwinton, CT. Board 5 served as the host, and the turnout was impressive. At the dinner, our Steve Kirck and Pat Paulson were presented with Special Achievement Awards for their outstanding careers from which both have retired following the completion of CIAC state basketball tournament finals. Proceeds from this tournament will help defray costs associated with Connecticut hosting another IAABO spring or fall meeting. Thanks to all the golfers and participants in the tournament.
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
Member-to-Member Mart
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
IAABO camp experience proves memorable, productive and constructive Board 10’s Ed Finnegan, Todd Tompkins and Jim Richitelli attended the Officials School at Rutgers University on June 28th through 30th. Ed sent in the following summary of his camp experience. It was outstanding. We were able to immerse ourselves in basketball rules, mechanics, coverages, procedures and signals for three solid days and make some new friends. We did all of this under the tutelage of Tom Lopes, IAABO Executive Director, Donnie Eppley, Assistant Director and numerous Interpreters from the New York-New Jersey area. A primary focus was working with 3-person crews. The camp invited some of the best high school basketball teams in the Northeast to play and provide the game action. When I saw Christ the King out of New York and their 6'10" 280 lb. Ed Finnegan and partner center lose in the opening game, I receive in-game instruction knew that this field of teams was awesome. We each officiated about twelve high quality games over the three days. Although Todd, Jim and I were not able to work together on a game, I was able to work with Todd and another official in our last game of the weekend. During the games you are being observed by numerous officials and, it seems, criticized if you even breathe at the wrong Todd Tompkins and Jim Richite(i among other time. But as we were leaving, there was no question that we fe(ow campers receiving post-game observations were better officials because of the experience. If you are interested in improving your craft, attending one of these camps will definitely help improve your knowledge of the rules and mechanics and give you a huge boost in confidence when entering the high school basketball season.
CT AAU’s Excellence in Officiating Award goes to Jeffrey Smith On June 12, 2013, Jeffrey Smith was presented with Connecticut AAU’s first-ever Excellence in Officiating Award at the the organization’s 9th Annual Awards Banquet at Amarante's Seacliff Inn. Jack Bethke presented the award to Jeffrey, saying: “Jeffrey was nominated for this award because I wanted him to be recognized for all he has accomplished while being part of the sport of youth basketball -- in particular with Connecticut AAU.” Jack went on to say that Jeffrey deserved this award because he works hard at every game he does. Jack noted that he’s watched Jeffrey work pro games as well as 5th grade girls games and does both with the same hard work and dedication to his craft. We should all recognize that Board 10 and the Connecticut State Rules Interpreter Jeffrey Smith practices what he preaches. Congratulations on winning this special award. Connecticut AAU plans to make this an annual award to honor excellence in officiating. !
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
Board 10 honors coaches, officials, and contributors to the game of basketball As is our custom, Board 10 handed out service and sportsmanship awards at the annual end-of-season banquet, which returned to the Country House Restaurant in East Haven after a few years being held in Waterbury. Honored for their years of service were the following: 40 years: Ron Diorio and Steve Kirck 35 years: Len Crone, Scott Maser, Gary Rispoli, and Craig Stockel 30 years: Don Dempsey and Peter Duglenski 25 years: Phil Crosby, Lou Matteo and Bob Speziale 20 years: Don Ardito and Todd Miller 15 years: Mark Berretta, Mike Blake, Brad Chernovetz, Ken Conlon, Tom Doyle, Dom D’Aurio, Lynn D’Aurio, John Moniello, Scott Temple, and Tony Vuolo The following Sportsmanship awards were voted on by you, the membership: Phil Casman Award for the varsity boys coach of the year: Jeff DeMaio, Guilford High School Rudy Canelli Award for the girls varsity coach of the year: Michelle Martinik, Amity Regional High School. Tony Barbaro award for the boys sub-varsity coach of the year: Nick Corkery, Shelton High School Hank Luzzi Award for the girls sub-varsity coach of the year: Heather Yablonski, Naugatuck High School. And, our most prestigious honor, the Board 10 Honorary Lifetime Membership Award, went to Allan Greenberg, Health and Physical Education Director of the Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven, who has provided a lot of work for our members and has been a true friend of officials. Congratulations, one and all!
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
Greater Hartford Pro-Am League Takes Its Talents To Waterbury Once again, the Greater Hartford Pro-Am Basketball League is in session featuring some high profile college and pro players. Board 10’s Jeffrey Smith, Steve Cain and Cheryl McCarthy-Chiari are among the officials selected to work the league this summer. Mike Anthony wrote an article about the league for the Hartford Courant and we thank Mike for the opportunity to reprint portions of it here.
WATERBURY — The Greater Hartford Pro-Am summer basketball league has changed venues, even changed cities for the first time. But if one opening-night moment spoke to the event being the same show in a different setting it was Eric Jean-Guillaume, a two-time Northeast-10 player of the year at Division II Franklin Pierce, leading a fast break, cutting into the teeth of the defense and throwing down a ferocious right-handed dunk that led to the first prolonged celebration of the summer. "Who put the trampoline down?" Pro-Am CEO Peter Higgins screamed into the microphone. "Oh my goodness! Did anybody get that? Can we get that on YouTube right now?" This is the type of play making that the Pro-Am is built on. JeanGuillaume, from Stamford, was making his Pro-Am debut. He's spent the last few summers playing in New York leagues. But Monday, the 5-11 guard injected some life into the crowd of a few hundred at Crosby High School, the league's new home after 16 years at various gyms in Hartford. "I heard the crowd, all the oohs and aahs," said Jean-Guillaume, playing for Attorney Deron Freeman. "Things like that get me really amped up." The league opened with a doubleheader Monday. In Game 1, All Faith Angels defeated Deron Freeman 113-100 behind 38 points from Marcus James. Daquan Brooks had 31 points for Freeman. In the second game, Harte Nissan defeated Past Present Future 119-77 behind 20 points by Kelvin Davis. The league will hold doubleheaders Monday and Wednesday evenings, and doubleheaders (perhaps tripleheaders) Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is free. Pete Higgins expects players from several state schools to participate — including DeAndre Daniels, Tyler Olander and maybe Omar Calhoun from UConn. The playoffs begin the second week of August. Also, Middletown native Andre Drummond, formerly of UConn and now with the Detroit Pistons, and Kemba Walker (UConn/Charlotte Bobcats) are expected. Rosters, team names, sponsors and schedules are still being finalized. There are eight teams locked in, and there could be as many as 10. "It's cool for me, but no matter where it's at, being able to work on my craft and play basketball that's the excitement I get," said Ryan Gomes, who spent last season in Germany and is hoping to sign an NBA contract. "But for the community that drove up to Hartford to always support us up there, it's great for them. We've shown great support for the Hartford Pro-Am the last 10, 11 years. I think it's good for our community in Waterbury and maybe good for the league as well. Hopefully the Hartford people support it, as well, by coming down here. We're trying to help out as best as possible because Pete wasn't sure there was enough time to make it happen in Hartford." !
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
NEWS & NOTES Post-season championship assignments Board 10’s Steve Kirck and Steve Kirck II officiated the NEPSAC Class C boys prep school tournament championship game. Greens Farm Academy, a Fairchester Athletic Association of CT team, defeated The Pingree School from the Eastern League of Greater Boston. The final score was 55-50. Mike Scanlon was on the crew for the Class AAA boys final pitting St. Thomas Moore School from Oakdale, CT against Brewster Academy from Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. St. Thomas Moore won 77-75 in overtime. Dave DeMartino worked the CIAC Class M boys state championship lacrosse game played June 8th between Joel Barlow and Wilton, and won by Wilton. Dave Reno was selected to umpire the Men’s and Women’s Slow Pitch softball championships. The games will be played September 26th to the 29th in Ridgeland, Mississippi. Joe Alberti is entering his 21st season as a pro tennis official. Joe is currently ranked 10th among the world’s 375 ranked officials. In !
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August, he will work his 19th consecutive U.S. Open in New York City. You can see many of the matches on ESPN2.
Family members star in athletics The Luzzi’s are at it again. Hank Luzzi’s grandkids are all poised to excel at their colleges of choice. Andrew is a junior at Union College and plays defensive back for their football team. Anthony, a recent graduate of the Gunnery in Washington, CT, is a freshman at Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY where he will play for the hockey team. Nicole, a graduate of Branford High School and a member of the CT All State girls lacrosse team, signed a letter of intent to play lacrosse at NCAA Division-I Wagner College on Staten Island. You can tell that all three have excellent athletic genes. Their father, and Hank’s son, Michael, is a former quarterback and baseball captain for Yale. Before that, he was an All State quarterback and an All State 3rd baseman for East Haven High’s football and baseball teams respectively. Tim Brown reports that his son Zack played baseball for venerable Coach Bob DeMayo at North Haven High School. The Indians made it to the CIAC state semi-finals. Zack made the CT High School Coaches’ Association All Division and All State teams. Zack also played in the Senior All Star Game against the Massachusetts All Stars on June 22nd at Tufts University. Rich Altieri reports that his daughter Kristen Altieri DeCarli has been promoted to the position of Associate Director of Athletics at Albertus Magnus College. She will work directly with the college’s recently appointed Athletic Director (cont. on p. 17)
IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
News & Notes ... (cont. from p. 16)
raiser for 2014 in the form of a Calendar Lottery along the lines of the CT Lottery’s Play-3 game. For $20, entrants can purchase a unique 3-digit number between 000 and 999 and will receive a calendar representing that unique number. During the months of October and November, 2013, there will be a nightly drawing. If your number matches the number that’s drawn, you win the prize for that day. Weekday winners receive $40. Saturday winners get $100 each and Sunday winners come home with $150. Do the math. One $20 contribution gets you 61 opportunities to win. To request your unique 3-digit number, send an email to Dom D’Aurio at: happydog1056902@aol.com. If the number you request is available, it will be assigned to you. Then mail your $20 entry fee to Dom at 116 Pool Road, North Haven, CT 06473. Good luck, and remember, it’s for a good cause. Al Carfora spearheaded a local campaign to support the teenage daughter of a college friend. The daughter, Victoria Arlen, suffered from a life-threatening disease that eventually deprived her of the use of her legs. Victoria was encouraged to enter the world of competitive swimming and she excelled. She joined the USA ParaOlympics swim team and took home gold and silver medals at the 2012 Para-Olympic Games in London. She owns world records in the 100 and 400 meter freestyle, American records in the 50 meter breaststroke and the 100, 200 and 400 meter freestyle, and Pan Am records in the 100 meter breaststroke and 400 meter freestyle. Most if not all of you received an email from Al in June urging you to vote for Victoria as an ESPY nominee (cont. on p. 18)
and former UCONN men’s basketball player James Abromaitis. Kristen came to Albertus in July 2011 as assistant athletic director/sports information director and senior woman administrator. She was previously at the University of Connecticut, where she served as primary media contact for eight sports programs. She is a cum laude graduate of Endicott College, where she majored in sports management.
A Senior Olympian The National Senior Games are taking place now through August 1st. The Games feature teams in a variety of sports. One requirement is that the participants must be at least 50 years old. Our Danielle Rea is one of those participants. She’s playing softball at the Games. Best of luck, Danielle (Sorry we had to reveal your age).
Stepping up for a number of worthy causes and individuals Board 10’s Lynn and Dom D’Aurio, Ken Conlon, and Mary Mannion are also softball umpires who are founding members of a non-profit organization called Scholar Athlete Classic, Inc. which raises scholarship money to honor outstanding scholarathletes. In June, they held their 6th annual scholar-athlete game which raised over $22,000 to be given out as scholarships and gifts to 28 deserving young women from the surrounding area. The organization has embarked on a fund!
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN News & Notes ... (cont. from p. 17)
in the Best Female Athlete with a Disability category. Though she was a runner-up, Victoria and Al thank you for your support.
On the mend Our Mike Melkonian is recovering following knee replacement surgery. The surgery was successful and Mike is digging in for a long rehab, but hopefully he will have a full and speedy recovery and will be able to go full tilt on the court next season. Get well, Mike.
Professional achievement The National Federation of High School associations (NFHS) has selected Ken Devoe to serve on the NFHS Publications Committee as the representative for Section 1, which includes Connecticut, the other New England states, New York and New Jersey. The committee is responsible for writing, editing and publishing a broad range of web and magazine articles and other communications dealing with officiating various sports. The committee appointment is for 4 years, and it is a full time working committee. Now that Connecticut and Board 10 have a “voice” at the Federation level, if you have any ideas for officiating-specific articles, please contact Ken. John Moniello recently graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and is now a Certified Holistic Nutrition Coach. John has worked as the Wellness Clinic Director at Stony Creek Internal Medicine and Wellness with the Ideal Protein program along with internist Dr. Emily Nolfo for over two years and continues to remain dedicated to not only the provision of highly effective weight !
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SUMMER 2013 loss methods for his clients but also to their continued long term health and well being. John’s expertise has since expanded beyond nutrition to career, relationships, spirituality and physical activity. Be sure to check out his ad in this issue of the newsletter.
Say “Cheese!” Our resident cheese maker and fellow official Mark Federico was featured in the Winter 2012 edition of edible RHODY magazine. Mark’s company, Rhode Island Cheese, collaborated with the Rhody Fresh Dairy Cooperative to introduce the market to an artisanal cheese known as Butterkase, a German gouda-style semi-soft cheese. The new cheese is made entirely from milk produced by the cooperative’s eight dairy farms. Mark and his colleagues at the cooperative have also created a Rhody Fresh salted butter. Local cheeses like Butterkase are perfect for people who care about what they eat and where it comes from. “People are reading the labels today,” Mark said. “They want to know what they’re putting in their bodies.” Mark owns and runs Narragansett Creamery, whose line of local cheeses includes ricotta, Salty Sea Feta and Italian-style cheese, along with yogurt products.
Wedding bells have rung Proud father of the bride Lou Matteo tells us that his daughter Lauren was married to Joseph Niedbala on May 4th in a ceremony at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, followed by a reception at Aquaturf. (cont. on p. 19)
IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
News & Notes ... (cont. from p. 18)
Lauren is the owner of Lauren Matteo Photography. Joseph is a corrections officer for the State of Massachusetts. The happy couple lives in Greenfield, Massachusetts.
Member-to-Member Mart
Happy 44th to the Robinsons Our best wishes go out to Harry and Mary Ann Robinson who celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary on July 14th. (And people said it would never last.) Congratulations and best wishes from all of us at Board 10.
If you have a personal, professional, family or accomplishment you would like to share, click on: News & Notes and Story Ideas
Stock up on the apparel and accessories you need to supplement your uniform and equipment. Find it all at Guilford Sporting Goods. Shoes, socks, compression shorts, under armour and more. Guilford Sporting Goods 1795-A Boston Post Road, Guilford, CT. (203) 453-2370. Frank Bepko, proprietor. Your ad here Promote your business, products, and services to your fellow Board 10 officials with an ad in this newsletter. It’s free for all members. Send us your ad and artwork. Or if you wish, just send us your information and we will design and create an ad for you. Email us by clicking on:
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For the finest legal service and representation Michael J. Luzzi, Attorney at Law Dolan & Luzzi, LLC. 1337 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden CT 06514 203 230-1678 Cell: 203 675-9049 Fax: 203 230 2552 Email: mluzzi@dolanluzzilaw.com
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
President’s Message: “It’s about the kids” -- Steve Kirck II Dear fellow officials: First, I am humbled to serve as your President this year! Never did I imagine being in this role when taking the test 25 years ago. All I wanted to do back then was survive my first game. Being President was not on the radar. My first message is simple. My second message is a sad sign of the times we live in. My third message is of gratitude. First, always remember the reason we got into this sometimes crazy yet rewarding officiating avocation. It is a simple four-letter word - kids! Sure, we love the game and love to give back. Yes, we all have a bond and brotherhood/sisterhood amongst ourselves and have made lifelong friends. As a bonus, we get some exercise in the winter months. And yes, we earn some spending money for our efforts. But, the first and most important reason we got involved in officiating are the kids. We want them to have the same opportunities as we did growing up. To play a game they love in a fair and equitable environment. To let them be kids and enjoy themselves. They are growing up in a way different world than we did. This game lets them relax, have fun, and learn the lessons that sports preaches. Second, what sports doesn't preach are the realities of the ever growing presence and threat of violence against officials. This past May, Hank Luzzi, Ray Vanacore, Ken Devoe, and I had the privilege to attend the CIAC Officials Association wrap up meeting presented by Joe Tonelli. A lot of great topics were covered, none hitting home more than the HBO Documentary (cont. on p. 21)
Commissioner’s Commentary: "Everyone should be a mentor, every game” -- John “Bud” Chernovetz It has often been said that “experience is a great teacher.” It’s true. There are two forms of experience: 1) the experience you gain over time doing what you do, and 2) the experience of others – experience you can draw on to increase your knowledge and improve your performance. Both are important, useful and constructive, but I’d like to focus on what you can learn from the experience of others and what those others can impart to you. It’s called mentoring, and it’s a common practice in business. Successful companies, like Fairfield CT-based General Electric have formal mentoring programs for their managers and executives with talent and great potential. A senior executive would take an up and coming employee under his or her wing and provide guidance throughout that person’s career and that kind of personal and professional attention would often help individuals rise through the ranks. Bottom line, it works. Until a few years ago, Board 10 had a formal mentor/mentee program. A select group of veteran varsity officials were appointed to mentor an equally select group of sub-varsity officials. The idea was to enable each subvarsity official in the mentor/mentee program to be observed 4 to 5 five times during the season by a mentor who would offer detailed feedback on the official’s performance, with constructive recommendations on what could and should be improved. Typically a mentee would be observed by (cont. on p. 21)
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
President’s Message: “It’s about the kids” ... (cont. from p. 20)
on the soccer referee in Colorado who left home to officiate a game he loved, and sadly, never returned there or saw his family again. He was punched, knocked unconscious, and died a few days later. The HBO documentary also showcased violence against football officials. Referee magazine seems to have a news story on violence in each issue. To learn of another incident, you can Google the soccer referee who was beheaded in Brazil. I write about this not to detract you from this great avocation. Instead, my focus is on how our thought process and antennas need to be on guard. Joe Tonelli, during his comments after showing the HBO documentary, mentioned that as part of our pre-game we should discuss how to handle unforeseen situations, going so far as to plan an exit strategy from the venue with home game site personnel. Is this extreme? Yes! I hope to God no one on Board 10 ever has to use it. But, given the recent news events, safe is better than sorry. Finally, sorry is never a word any Commissioner had to say when he assigned the three retiring Board 10 officials - Steve Kirck, Sr., Bill Murphy, and Pat Paulson - to any game over the last 40 years. These are three consummate professionals whom Board 10 will miss immensely. They could handle any assignment sent their way and are even better people than officials. While I had the unbelievable good fortune to be assigned the final game in the careers of both my Dad and Pat and have memories I will always cherish from that day, it is a phone call I received from Bill Murphy that shows what great people we have on Board 10 and what makes us the best board in the state. (cont. on p. 22) Commissioner’s Commentary: “Everyone should be a mentor, every game” ... (cont. from p. 20)
4 or 5 different mentors, simply because of the complexity of scheduling mentors’ and mentees’ games on the same day at the same site. In fact, that very complexity led to us having to end the mentor/mentee program. That’s when we began the Observer program. But, our mentor/mentee program was so successful in the past, we have decided to bring it back, under the guidance of Mike Scanlon who is the new chairman of the Better Officiating Committee. You will learn more about the program as the new season approaches. The key point is that the experience of our highly accomplished veteran officials is such a rich resource, we want to tap into that resource and help our most promising sub-varsity officials advance on the road to varsity status. It’s a lot of work in terms of scheduling and assigning, and it’s a significant commitment on the part of program participants, but it will be worth it. That’s the formal side of mentoring. There’s a less formal aspect of mentoring that we used to practice routinely but have gotten away from over the last few years. It used to be standard procedure that varsity officials would observe the JV officials in the games preceding the varsity games and then offer them feedback and constructive criticism after their game, based on what they observed. We have not been doing so as a group on a regular basis, and we should and will get back to that practice. My message to all varsity officials is: “Be a mentor on every game.” Observe the JV games and offer your input and feedback to the JV officials whether or not they ask for it. Don’t wait to be solicited. Some JV officials won’t ask for your insights because either they don’t think to do so or perhaps they don’t want to hear any criticism. But if you don’t point out what they are doing wrong, how can you expect them to become better officials? My predecessor, Tony Barbaro, used to say that no one goes on the court and intentionally does things wrong. They do what they do because they think it’s right and because no one has told them otherwise. Unless someone points out a mistake, how would an official know to correct it? We’ve all been there in the early years of our careers. We depended on our more experienced officials to guide us and help us do the right things and do them well. We drew on their experience and it helped. Memo to all varsity officials: If a JV official doesn’t want to hear your input, let me know and I will deal with that individual. (cont. on p. 22) !
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
President’s Message: “It’s about the kids” ... (cont. from p. 21)
Bill called to congratulate me, a gesture I truly appreciated, especially considering the disappointment he could have felt in not being selected for the state final. I told him that when I found out he was retiring in late February, I thought it would have been fitting for that trio to go out together at Mohegan Sun. I won't soon forget his response. Bill said, "Steve, I have done many finals. For you to work with your dad is what I was rooting for. Have fun. I know the game is in good hands." If you read between the lines and substitute kids for games, the meaning is the same. And if I could have one theme for the year of my presidency, it is to remember why we dress up in a black and white striped shirt and sometimes get yelled at for 32 minutes. You see, it always comes back to the kids. The kids! Commissioner’s Commentary: “Everyone should be a mentor, every game” ... (cont. from p. 21)
Memo to all sub-varsity officials: If the varsity officials following you don’t offer you any input and feedback, let me know and I will address that situation with them. This goes for every game. And by the way, drawing on the experience and observations of others is not limited to sub-varsity officials. Every official at every level should ask their partners what, if anything, they noticed that could be improved or needs to be addressed. No matter how long I officiated basketball and umpired baseball, at the conclusion of every game, I would ask my crewmates: “What did you see?” So, varsity officials especially, make that post-game conversation a standard practice. And when asked, offer honest feedback. Don’t just say to your partner “Great game” and call it a night. There’s always something that could be improved. Remember: Experience is a great teacher. Be willing to teach and be taught. You will be better off for doing so.
FROM THE LIGHTER SIDE
For a humorous look at the life of a basketball referee, check out Kevin Sparrock’s “Fouls & Violations” web site: www.foulsandviolations.net
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
THE DOCTOR IS IN Board 10’s Dr. Dan Davis discusses injury prevention and treatment, as well as general health and fitness, to help keep you on the court.
“Don’t let the sun spoil your summer fun” A look at skin cancer and what to do about it Q: How common is skin cancer? A: It is the most common cancer of all. According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer accounts for nearly half of all cancers in the U.S. The good news is, it’s usually the most treatable. Q: Are there different kinds of skin cancer? A: Yes, and they are typically named for the cell layer of the skin in which they appear – such as basal cell skin cancer, squamous cell skin cancer and melanoma which begins in the melanocytes, or pigment cells. Although melanoma accounts for just a small percentage of skin cancer, it is by far the most serious and dangerous and results in more than 9,000 of the 12,000 skin cancer deaths that occur each year. Q: What causes skin cancer? A: Exposure to the sun -- in particular ultraviolet light from the sun -- is the biggest cause. Ultraviolet light passes through clouds, so even on an overcast day, you can get sunburned and damage your skin without realizing it. I’m not saying you should never go out in the sun. In fact, sunlight is good for you. It helps you produce Vitamin D, which is important for bone health. I also recommend avoiding tanning salons. Their tanning beds expose you to ultraviolet light and significantly increase your chance of developing skin cancer. In addition, !
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overexposing your skin to ultraviolet light causes your skin to age more rapidly. Who wants that? Q: There are suntan lotions and sunblock lotions. What’s the difference? A: Sunless spray-on tanning products are a somewhat safer manner to get an "instant tan." These products contain DHA, (a sugar cane derivative) which is an FDA approved substance that causes an interaction with the dead layer of cells on the outermost layer of the skin. This reaction stains the dead skin cells darker and this buys you an "instant tan" that lasts until your body sloughs the dead cells on your own or until you wash them off as you would in a shower every day. These products offer a great alternative to tans acquired via UV rays. Tanning lotion products generally have chemical ingredients designed to accelerate the tanning process in the skin. Once again, there is simply no logic in inviting UV rays and the damage that ensues in the skin. Sunblock products offer different levels of protection against the sun’s ultraviolet light, and those differences are reflected in the SPF (Sun Protection Factor) number that you see on the package. The SPF number indicates how much sun they can block, relatively speaking. For example, if you use a product with an SPF of 4, that means it would take four hours in the sun to get the same impact from exposure to the sun that you would get in 1 hour if you didn’t apply the product. With an SPF 15 (cont. on p. 24)
IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN The Dr. is In ... (cont. from p. 23)
sunblock, it would take 15 hours in the sun to get the same impact as spending 1 hour in the sun without the sunblock on. However, be aware that if you are out in the sun for long periods of time, you could sweat the lotion off, or if you’re in the water, it could wash off. The sunblock could also rub off on your clothes. SPF products provide great protection to overexposure to UV rays. The technology is improving to the point that some sunblock products are more moisture and exercise resistant. The cheaper products are not as good in that regard. Read the labels carefully to make sure you are properly protected. Q: What can we do to protect ourselves against skin cancer? A: Contrary to public opinion, a tan is NOT a good protection against UV damage. It gives an SPF equivalent of anywhere between 2 and 2.7. Hence, even with a good tan base, damage can still be done. Plain and simple, over exposure to UV lite causes skin damage (via DNA damage to skin cells). Of note is that, as the ozone layer gets depleted, more UV lite gets through to the earth. An increasing ban on chloro-fluorocarbons and methylbromide compounds worldwide is a huge step in protecting the ozone layer. Moderation with regard to exposure to the sun is key to remaining healthy. If you’re going to be out in the sun for any appreciable length of time, you should use some form of UV blocker. Q: How is skin cancer detected? A: You should see a dermatologist for a full body exam once a year, especially if you are 30 or older. Dermatologists are experts at detecting various forms of skin cancer as well as precancerous lesions. Any suspicious lesions can !
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SUMMER 2013 be biopsied or removed in their office in a painless fashion. Q: What should we look for even before we see a dermatologist? A: Basically, if you see something on your skin that doesn’t look “normal”-- for example – a recently developed discoloration or a flaky, crusty area of skin -- you should have it checked by a dermatologist. Also, be sure to have someone such as your spouse look at your back and check for abnormalities. After all, you can’t see your own back. If caught early, the vast majority of skin cancers can be easily treated by removing the abnormality. Q: What if the skin cancer isn’t caught early or is simply ignored for a period of time? A: Left undetected or untreated, skin cancer can spread, and that can lead to serious issues and more intense treatment – for example chemotherapy. And there can be complications from the cancer which, worst case, could be fatal. Q: You mentioned earlier how serious melanoma is. What do you look for with regard to melanoma and figuring out what to do about it? A: I use what we call the “ABCDs” as markers on a patient for devising a treatment plan. “A” stands for Asymmetrical. If a lesion is asymmetrical, that is not a good sign. By contrast, a harmless freckle typically has a symmetrical shape. “B” stands for Border. If a lesion has an irregular border (uneven surface that you can see or feel- or an outer border that is irregular ), that is another red flag. “C” stands for Color. A normal freckle has the same coloration throughout. A lesion which is dark brown on one side and light brown on the other is a problem area. “D” is for Diameter. If the questionable area of skin is larger than a pencil (cont. on p. 25)
IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN The Dr. is In ... (cont. from p. 24)
eraser, you likely need to have a biopsy done. If the lesion has more than one of the ABCDs, then the proper treatment needs to be implemented as soon as possible. Q: What are your overall recommendations with regard to skin cancer? Most people take their skin for granted, and that’s a mistake. The skin is the largest organ of the body. It is a barrier that protects your internal organs from bacteria and other germs and from ultaviolet light which would otherwise destroy those organs. The skin helps prevent water loss. It helps control your internal body temperature by producing sweat to keep you cool when you’re in a hot gym, for example, and running up and down the basketball court. So, it’s critical that you take care of your skin and do whatever you can to avoid or reduce the probablity of skin cancer. It’s summertime now and you’re outside more than any other time of the year – whether
SUMMER 2013 golfing, swimming, jogging or, yes, officiating basketball games outdoors. Limit your exposure to the sun and use sufficient sunblock. And apply sunblock not just to the obvious parts of the body – face arms, legs, chest and back – but also to your ears, to the backs of your knees and to your feet, including the backs of your ankles. I’ve seen a number of patients who developed skin cancer on their feet because they didn’t think to apply sunblock. The bottomline is this: When it comes to skin cancer, an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure.
Got a health and fitness question for Dr. Dan? Email it by clicking here: Ask Dr. Dan
Member-to-Member Mart
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
Member-to-Member Mart The Whitney Players Theater Company Presents the New Haven County premier of
Directed by Cindy Simell-Devoe Based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the book by William Steig Music by Jeanine Tesori Book & Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire Originally produced on Broadway by DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions
Wednesday through Saturday AUGUST 14-17 at Hamden High School 2040 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden All performances 7:30 PM Enjoy Broadway quality at community theater prices ~Reserved Seating Tickets~ $15.00 — Advance ticket price $18 at the door For ticket information, please call: (203) 314-8599 Cash and Checks Only. No Refunds, No Exchanges.
The Whitney Players is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization supported by the Hamden Board of Education and co-sponsored by the Hamden Arts Commission. Visit our new Website! www.thewhitneyplayers.org Shrek Is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All Authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 Phone: 211-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684 www.MTIShows.com
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
Member Profile: Deb Narowski Deb Narowski is one of those quiet unassuming individuals who does not seek notoriety and as a result can easily fly under the radar, so to speak. But her life and career have been an interesting journey worth noting. Deb is an Ansonia native and graduate of Ansonia High School. She went on to study and get an undergraduate degree in accounting from the Connecticut Business School in Waterbury. You would think that the logical next step would be to get a job as an accountant. She did just that. But it didn’t take long for Deb to come to the realization that she just plain didn’t like accounting, so after only a week on the job, she made an abrupt shift and left the profession. What does an ex-accountant with a grand total of one week’s worth of experience do next? In Deb’s case, she became … a baker. (Bet you didn’t see that one coming). She went to work for Heavenly Donuts in Derby where she remained for the next 27 years, getting up at 4 every morning to go in and make the donuts. It’s reminiscent of the classic Dunkin’ Donuts TV ad campaign featuring the late sleepy-eyed actor Michael Vale as “Fred the Baker,” who patrolled a Dunkin’ Donuts kitchen muttering “time to make the donuts.” In the real world, making the donuts is no easy task. “It’s a dying art,” Deb said. “Today most donut shops get their donuts already made and frozen and just thaw them out. But at Heavenly Donuts, we made everything from scratch.” Deb expanded her skill set by studying wedding cake decoration at the Wilton School of Cake Decorating and Confectionery Art, a private vocational school in New York City. She put her skills to work creating and selling wedding cakes. She even made and decorated the cakes for her own daughters’ weddings. As much as Deb enjoyed the baking profession, she came to another stark realization – namely that she needed affordable health insurance and therefore needed to work for a company that offered it. So, seven years ago, Deb went to work for Sikorsky Aircraft in Bridgeport where she is part of the team that produces blades for the S-92 search and rescue helicopter for civil, military and government SAR helicopter operators. Instead of getting up at 4 AM to make donuts, Deb goes to work to make helicopter blades on the third shift from 11:30 at night to 6:30 in the morning. When most people are sleeping she’s working, and vice versa. But one of the best aspects of that kind of work schedule is that it frees Deb up for officiating on any given afternoon or evening. We’ll get to the officiating shortly, but first some family notes. Deb has four grown children – three daughters and a son. You may know her oldest daughter, Sarah, because she was a board 10 official for a brief time before moving to Stratford. Sarah, now 30, is a manager for Deloitte, the consulting, financial advisory, tax advisory and risk management firm. She also is married and has a 4-month old baby. Second oldest daughter Stacy is a registered nurse working at a facility that specializes in colonoscopies. Deb’s third daughter Shannon just graduated from Southern CT State University and (cont. on p. 28)
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
Member Profile: Deb Narowski... (cont. from p. 27)
is working at Yale New Haven Hospital as a pharmacy tech. Greg, the youngest of the family, is a licensed plumber and a licensed real estate agent and is active in both professions. Now, on to the world of sports. Deb Narowski is a track and field coach as well as a two-sport official (basketball and volleyball). Deb began coaching track and field at Platt Tech in Milford 12 years ago when her son, Greg, was a freshman there. Deb admits she had no prior experience in track and field, but took some training classes, learned the basics and was awarded the job. She’s done very well. In fact, this past season, Platt Tech won the Western Division of the Constitution State Conference. Deb has officiated boys and girls volleyball for the past 10 years. Because volleyball officials don’t run around, as do basketball officials, there’s a mistaken impression that refereeing volleyball games is fairly Le"-to-right: Stacy, Sarah, Greg, Deb easy. Far from it, as those of you who also work volleyand Shannon Narowski ball well know. Deb says it takes a tremendous amount of concentration. “As the R1, you have to keep your eye on the ball, and it’s a very fast paced game. You don’t want to miss a lift or double hit. As the down official, or R2, you have to concentrate on the net and the floor and make sure no player goes underneath the net. Again, it’s concentration first and foremost.” Deb as been a basketball official for the last 11 years. Before that she used to coach her kids when they played youth basketball. Someone somewhere during that time suggested that she should consider officiating and so she did, and has thoroughly enjoyed it. “It’s great. You get a lot of exercise, and unlike volleyball, you have a lot of things to watch at all times, which makes it very interesting as well as challenging,” Deb said. She says that one of her top highlights is working Special Olympics games, and the younger the players, the more she enjoys it. Her other highlight is having had the opportunity to officiate high school games with her daughter Sarah, while Sarah was still a Board 10 member. The Paulsons, Kircks and Renos know that feeling. Asked what she’s learned from officiating, Deb said: “I have learned how to better control myself and slow things down to where they are in control. I learned to think before speaking to not get myself into difficult situations. That’s useful in life off the court too.”
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
ASK THE INTERPRETER
With Jeffrey Smith, Board 10 Interpreter and CT State Interpreter
With the high school basketball season well in our rear view mirror, we decided to ask our Interpreter about a number of rules and procedures that many officials and others think should be changed.
Q1) Many feel that we should standardize on :60 (“full”) timeouts rather than have a mix of three 60s and two 30s for the game. In practice, from the time the official asks the coach what kind of timeout he or she wants, until the time the official gets the teams to break their huddles, a :30 timeout ends up lasting about as long as a :60 timeout. Wouldn't it be better if all timeouts were :60's? That way the official doesn't have to ask the coach and wait for an answer. The official could just blow the whistle indicate a timeout is being called and who called it and then just point to the timer to start timing the timeout. We do this for prep school games. Why not for public school games? A: Should the NFHS eliminate 30-second timeouts and allow teams five 60-second time-outs per game as it had done years ago? In my opinion, that would probably be a reasonable rule change. Since 30-second timeouts have been added to the game, presumably to move it along a little quicker, it has seemed to create more confusion and conflict with coaches and scorer’s mis!
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SUMMER 2013 takes when recording time-outs. Additionally, coaches waste time when giving the necessary information to the official. Then the information must be communicated to the opposing coach, the other official(s) and the official scorer. Officials are then required to approach a team’s huddle if the players are sitting instead of standing during the 30-second time-out. The change to five 60-second timeouts can possibly reduce the likelihood of giving a delay-of-game warning for having “water on the floor” following a 30second time-out. The positioning, responsibilities and communication of officials during time-outs will be more easily understood as well. I do not see any downside to instituting this change. There is no cost involved, it’s easily understood by all, the same number of time-outs are available, it will expedite communication and reduce error. Q2) Should we institute the shot clock for all varsity games, public as well as preps? The shot clock is in use in many states. What is your view? A: The cost of equipment, the extra training for officials and table personnel -- including how to handle possible equipment malfunctions during a game -- might deter schools, leagues and conferences from wanting to institute the shot clock. However, on the plus side, the shot-clock would be a great addition to the high school basketball game, especially as the game has evolved into such a fast-paced, athletic, strategic chess match. In my opinion, the shot-clock can help restore a balance between teams in many different ways. In theory, it could also make another rule unnecessary – the 5-second closely-guarded rule. With the shot clock in effect, the offense would have to attempt a field goal within the allotted time limit and would have less incentive to hold or dribble the ball for an extended period of time. The closely-guarded rule has been a point of emphasis because of gross lack of enforcement and because of misapplication of the rule. One of the difficulties with the 5-second closely-guarded rule, and with no shot clock, is that officials are often so focused on counting that they don’t suf-
IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN ficiently observe and penalize illegal contact such as illegal screens. If we made this suggested rule change, officials would be freed up to concentrate and focus more on their PCA’s and be better able to referee legal and illegal contact. Q3) Why should teams not be allowed to have both "0" and "00" numbers but instead must have only one or the other? After all, 1 and 11, 2 and 22, 3 and 33, 4 and 44, 5 and 55 are all legal numbers. So why not "0" and "00"? Should that rule be changed? A: Given the technology that has come into use in the game of basketball, the numbers “0” and “00” created inputting mistakes and, therefore, the rules committee determined that a team can only use one or the other number for their roster. In my opinion, the rule is good as it stands. Q4) Are there any other rules which you believe should be changed, and why? A: In my opinion, the backcourt rule should be changed regarding the situation when the ball touches an offensive player after being “deflected” or “touched” by a defensive player in the
SUMMER 2013 frontcourt. When a touch or deflection by the defense occurs, any offensive player should be allowed to recover the ball in their backcourt without being ruled for a backcourt violation. The present rule puts the offensive team at a disadvantage, because if a player on the offense recovers the ball, his/her team will be penalized for a violation. Additionally, if the offense does not recover the ball, the result could possibly become an out-of-bounds violation or they will have to allow an opponent the opportunity to recover the ball. The rule should read: “If a defensive player deflects, touches or is touched by the ball and causes it to contact any offensive player in the frontcourt (without being controlled), then any offensive player shall be allowed to recover the ball when it enters the backcourt without being penalized.” If you have a ques-on about rules, mechanics, or procedures, please email your ques-on by clicking on: Ask the Interpreter.
More from the Lighter Side Some not-so-deep thoughts
What if there were no hypothetical questions? Is there another word for “synonym”? Why are there 5 syllables in the word "monosyllabic"? What was the best thing before sliced bread? If the speed of light is 186,000 miles/sec., what's the speed of darkness? Not-so-deep-thoughts courtesy of Arcamax.com
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
Member-to-Member Mart
Aunt Chilada’s, voted New Haven’s Best Mexican Restaurant, is the perfect place for food, fun, entertainment -- and parties for any occasion. Enjoy outdoor dining with a scenic view of Sleeping Giant mountain and golf course. If you can’t come to us, no problem. We cater and deliver to your home or office. PLUS, enjoy 25-cent wings and $5 pitchers on Sundays while watching your favorite sports on any of our 10 TV’s. Eat, drink and be merry at Aunt Chilada’s. 3931 Whitney Ave., Hamden. (203) 230-4640. Charlie Hague, proprietor
Visit us at www.sachemwineandspirits.com and get added to our email list. Frank Bepko, proprietor !
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IAABO BOARD 10 NEW HAVEN
SUMMER 2013
Calendar Board 10 meetings for 2013-14 October 13, 2013 – Mandatory interpretation meeting November 17, 2013 December 8, 2013 -- Refresher Exam January 5, 2014 February 2 , 2014 -- Annual Meeting All meetings on Sunday mornings, 8 AM at Lyman Hall HS in Wallingford. Attendance at at least 4 meetings is required Next issue of Bd 10.COMmuniqué: Fall, 2013
NOTE: All past issues of the newsletter are now posted at our Board 10 website. Visit: www.iaabo10.org, navigate to the home page, and click on the “NEWSLETTER” tab.
Helpful Links Bd 10.COMmuniqué is an interactive, electronic document. Wherever you see text highlighted in blue, bold, underlined type, that is a hot link to either an email address or a web page. Simply click on that link to submit ideas and questions, or to get more information. Here are some helpful links: • Board 10 Website • Ask Dr. Dan • News & Notes and Story Ideas • Ask the Interpreter • CIAC Officials’ Association • ArbiterSports • Women’s Coordinating Committee • Board 10 Knowledge Bank# • IAABO • Member to Member Mart
Bd 10.COMmuniqué EDITOR IN CHIEF: Hank Luzzi hluzzi@comcast.net MANAGING EDITOR/CHIEF CORRESPONDENT: Ken Devoe kendevoe@pantheon.yale.edu CO-MANAGING EDITOR/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER: Cheryl McCarthy Chiari CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Jeffrey Smith, Ray Vanacore DESIGN & LAYOUT: Ken Devoe Email story ideas, news and notes, and questions to: Ken Devoe or Hank Luzzi
All issues of Bd 10.COMmuniqué are available on-line at the Board 10 Website.
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