NEXT OFFICIAL WORD PUBLICATION DATE:FEBRUARY 28, 2012

by Crystal LewisPresident

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEStop Complaining

As officials, our job is to facilitate the match and, nodoubt, we want to do our best each time we step on thecourt. But sometimes the toughest part of a matchcomes in the locker room in the form a post-matchdebrief.

It’s there where observers or partners may utter wordswe don’t want to hear, and the feedback can strike achord in our soul.

The post-match debrief is one of the most importantparts of a match, the time when we get praise for goodcalls and discuss aspects of our performance andmechanics that might not be up to par.

While difficult to hear, constructive criticism, if given inthe spirit of helping an official improve and receivedthat way, can go a long way to helping us become thebest we can be and become more adept at handlingdifficult situations.

So the question is, how do you handle this type offeedback? Are you the type of person who likes to givecriticism but not receive it? Are you the type whodoesn’t say anything? Are you the type that hears it, butdoesn’t listen? Do you feel offended when someonegives you a critique? Does it go in one ear and out theother?

No matter which type of person you are, giving andreceiving criticism is a part of life, including volleyball.The main question is, are you one who is willing tolearn from it? Whether you learn from someone’scritique or not is up to you, but you must remember thatthe only way to learn and improve as an official is todevelop and become the best you can.

I received my 2010 annual observation report from oneof my conferences and as I was reading through the

comments I became shocked to how I perceived myperformance to that of how the coaches view me.Then as I read through the observers’ comments, theywere on the other end of the spectrum and more in lineto how I felt I had performed. It was confusing to readsuch different reports, but the most important learningcurve here is to take the criticism, use it to benefit yourdevelopment and learn from it. If you have the attitudethat you are the best and don’t care what the reportssay when you get them, that is your choice, but you’reonly hurting yourself and hindering your development.Everyone can learn!

After the initial disappointment, I took the constructivefeedback, wrote it down in a note pad that I keep in myrulebook. I could have made the choice to just read itand put it aside, but that would make me hear and notlisten, and that’s not me! Our goals are critical to ourdevelopment and the critiques we receive are vitallyimportant if we want to achieve our goals. There areno limits to what we can achieve. The only limits arewhat we put on ourselves.

We also receive critiques from other resources outsideour crew. There are fans who sit behind us calling thematch for us, and we just want to turn around and say“Come join us, we really need a good ref such asyourself,” or “Rule books for sale.” Then there are themedia commentators, who want to make the match asexciting as possible, even if they don’t know the rules.

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by Donna WigtonDirector, International Indoor Scorers

INTERNATIONAL INDOOR SCORERS

Thanks to all the Certified and Qualified USA-International Scorers for accepting 2011 summerassignments and working so hard towards achievingexcellence. You represent us well!

We were not quite as busy as last summer, with theHigh Performance Championships (scorers previouslyannounced in the April Official Word issue) being theonly opportunity to use the FIVB score sheet besidesWorld League and the Open Division at A d u l tNationals. (Thank you again to all the HighPerformance scorers who worked extra hard to insurethe success of this tournament – it is appreciated!)Those of you who were not able to work any of thesesevents, or simply would like more practice, shouldconsider taking an FIVB score sheet to a juniortournament next season to practice. It really helpskeep you in practice!

Speaking of opportunities, those of you who are

scorers at Men’s NCAA matches are welcome to sendme copies of those score sheets (since it is so similarto FIVB) to add to your body of work. Those regularscorers at Women’s NCAA matches are welcome tosend me (at the end of the season) a list of matchesworked with dates and teams playing. It helps me toknow when you keep score in other arenas, especiallyhigh-pressure matches, as it adds to your experiencebase. Many times there are scrimmages involving theNational teams, with lower fees paid (or sometimes ona volunteer basis) which I am not involved inassigning. I want to extend many thanks to TerryLawton (SC Region) for coordinating those Nationalteam assignments, the extra training and tutoring, andalso to the scorers who step up and work thosematches.

Enjoy the college season, the Holiday season, andlet’s look forward to an awesome 2012!

We might not mind some of that, but when they startputting down the officials I start getting a little upset!

Don’t let these “outside” critiques upset you! This isn’tthe positive development critique that we need.Remember the source that it’s coming from! Askyourself, “Who really knows the rules here?” Yes, YOUas the official. That is why you were hired! Of course,while watching a match on TV, I get very disgruntledwith some of the comments that are made about anofficial who is doing a very good job, and enforcing allparameters of the rules.

So what do you do? Of course it affects you and youmight start to doubt your abilities, but don’t let it get toyou. Continue to do your best and achieve the goalsyou have made for the season. No matter whatanyone says, know in your heart you have done yourbest! And be open to constructive feedback. It’susually given with the aim to help you attain yourgoals.

On another note … I would like to thank all of you forreading my messages and hope you have enjoyedthem as much as I have with writing them. These last

few years have flown by and it has been a great honor,and my pleasure to serve you as your PAVO president.Our new incoming president, Julie Voeck, is a smartand experienced leader with many talents, and I knowshe will be a great president for PAVO. Most of youalready know Voeck, as she has been our PAVO OTPCamp director for many years. We are so lucky andproud to have her continue on as your new Presidentstarting in 2012. Please congratulate and welcome herwhen you see her.

I also want to thank the board of directors for all theirhard work as PAVO is what it is today because ofthem. Thank you Marcia Alterman for all yourguidance, knowledge and experience, as you havebeen the foundation PAVO has stood on since itsinception. A special thank you to Miki Kennedy, whokeeps us on task and is the glue that keeps ustogether! One last BIG thank you to all our members,who support PAVO and who give back, withoutquestion to each other just as it should be! From thebottom of my heart I have enjoyed working with youand for you!! God Bless all of you in your career pathsas you go forward officiating the best sport anyonecould be a part of …. VOLLEYBALL!

President’s Messagecontinued from page 1

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The Convention Committee is hard at work preparinga slate of educational and inspirational sessions forthis year’s PAVO Officials Convention in San Antonio,Texas, Dec. 15-17. The Convention is held each yearin conjunction with the NCAA Division I NationalChampionships and the AVCA Convention.

This year, for the first time, concurrent sessions areplanned in one time slot, offering two options forattendees. One session will focus on those moreexperienced officials who may be thinking aboutretirement in upcoming years. The other session willtarget officials who want to acquire suggestions andskills to build their career and reputation in theo fficiating community. Other planned sessionsinclude:

- Keynote speaker Chris Plonsky, A t h l e t i c sDirector at the University of Texas, will “kick off”with a presentation on “Winning With Integrity”.

- A Verbal Judo expert will help with coachinteractions by teaching about diff u s i n gsituations through conversation.

- Sand volleyball officiating - A classroom sessionfor officials who want to gain knowledge aboutworking NCAA sand volleyball events.

- Vision training, presented by the professionalsfrom iSports Vision, sure to help every officialwith their focus.

- C o o r d i n a t o r’s Breakfast - Meet Division IConference Coordinators, hear their criteria forworking in their conference, and get yourquestions answered as you meet in an informal,small group environment.

- C o o r d i n a t o r’s Panel – A select group ofassignors and conference coordinators from alldivisions and levels of play will discuss the waysofficials can help (or diminish) their chances ofinclusion or advancement on conference rosters.

- National Coordinator Joan Powell will be on apanel with the Regional Advisors to discuss therecent developments in the new NCAA Central

Hub website and other NCAA policies andprocedures that will affect collegiate officials.

- Coaches Panel - Hear from coaches from avariety levels of play and learn more about thecoach-official relationship from their side of thefence.

- Semi-final Analysis - Watch highlights of the twosemi-final matches with video replay includingslow motion and stop action, and discuss callsmade and the performance of the off i c i a l sworking at the highest level of our game.

- Reception and Awards Banquet - Network, meetand greet officials and leaders of volleyball fromacross the country, and share in the recognitionof the recipients of this year’s PAVO awards.

- Referee Chair Assembly and Board ChairAssembly - Meetings for the grass rootsleadership to share ideas and concerns abouto fficiating, recruiting, mentoring, legal andinsurance issues, and more.

We are excited about the host hotel, the Grand HyattSan Antonio, with a convention rate of $129 per night.This hotel also serves for the AVCA attendees, somake your reservations now before they are sold out.The overflow hotel is the Hilton Palacio Del Rio at$109 per night. Access to the reservation systems forboth hotels is available on the PAVO website (just clickon the CONVENTION tab at the top of the page).

San Antonio will offer much to us in the way of greatweather, lots of excellent local restaurants, historicsites and neighborhoods, and a friendly atmosphere inwhich to enjoy the game we love. A conventionregistration form is included in this newsletter, or justcall Miki at 888/791-2074. Make your plans now!

by Donna CarterBoard Delegate

2011 PAVO CONVENTION IS DRAWING NEAR

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who uses NCAA rules at any level. A s s i g n o r s ,conference coordinators, and board chairs should allbe ensuring that anyone assigned by them hasregistered and is frequently referring to the CentralHub for current information. The cost of registration ispart of your PAVO dues – there is no additionalexpense, so use the link available on the PAVO homepage and register now!

If you have not yet registered on the NCAA CentralHub, you’re WAY behind other referees! The CentralHub is where you will find the current ruleinterpretations, the latest messages from Joan Powell,the NCAA National Coordinator, and video clips( “ VolleyCast”) that provide tips, hints, andinterpretations that will make you better at your craft.

Access to the Central Hub is important for ANY official

by Marcia AltermanExecutive Director

NCAA CENTRAL HUB NEWS

If you completed all the steps for certification as eithera line judge or scorer in the past, that certification isvalid only for one year (with the exception of NationalLine Judge Certification). Certifications expire eachJune 1, so if you were certified in the 2010 season,that certification expired June 1, 2011.

The requirements to renew are explained in detail onthe PAVO website (www.pavo.org/certifications ), butin general, renewal/maintenance consists of:

• Attendance at an annual training session/clinic

• Completion of the 2011 examination, correctedto 100 percent and signed by the clinician.

• Submission of one recommendation signatureon the appropriate form (available on the PAVOwebsite).

• Membership in a PAVO affiliated board,including submission of the PAVO Code ofProfessional and Ethical Conduct, Conditionsof Membership, General Waiver, and MediaRelease.

These requirements are now monitored by the local

board chairs, who will award scorekeeper certificationand basic line judge certification. National Line JudgeCertification is only awarded by the NRT Director.

Many conferences and schools are now requiringcertification in order to work as a scorer or line judge.Conference coordinators were recently asked tosubmit line judge recommendations to the VolleyballNational Coordinator for consideration as post-seasonassignment, and the list of PAVO certified line judgesaccompanied that information as a testament to thattraining.

If you were certified in 2010, it’s not too late to renewfor 2011, to avoid a lapse in your certification andavoid starting the process over in 2012. Starting overwill change the requirement for recommendationsignature to three instead of the single signaturerequired for renewal.

Please note the PAVO Board of Directors has changedthe location for the year pin worn by certified linejudges and scorekeepers. The pin is now to be wornon the right collar lapel, rather than on the patch itself.Please use Velcro to attach the patch, and wear theyear pin on the right collar to indicate that yourcertification is current.

by Marcia AltermanExecutive Director

CERTIFIED LINE JUDGE AND SCOREKEEPER INFORMATION

PAVO was well represented when the NationalAssociation of Sports Officials (NASO)conducted its annual Sports Officiating Summit.The event took place July 31-August 2 at theRenaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel in A t l a n t a ,G a .

On hand for PAVO were Marcia A l t e r m a n ,executive director; Crystal Lewis, president;Julie Voeck, president-elect; and Joan Powell,former PAVO president. Voeck and Lewis tooktime to speak to about a dozen assigners, localassociation officers and state associationleaders in a volleyball-specific breakout sessionduring the Summit. The session was sponsoredby PAV O .

Those individuals heard from Voeck, whopresented on a few different mechanics andrules-related issues.

“As a training and certification organization forvolleyball officials, providing current informationon volleyball rules and techniques is important,”Voeck said. “During the breakout session thegroup discussed many of the diff e r e n c e sbetween the three rule sets and techniques forhigh school (NFHS), college (NCAA) and club( U S AV) vol leyball. Examples of topicsdiscussed included pre-match protocols andwarm-ups, sanctions, mechanics, centerlineviolations, net faults and ball handling.

“The breakout session also included adiscussion of rule changes that are beintroduced in the USAV and NCAA rules thatmay be considered in other rule sets in thef u t u r e . Examples discussed were more liberal

net contacts allowed in USAV and planned futureN C A A rule changes, including end of rally signalsequence changes and rules governing thelibero uniform,” Voeck explained.

Barry Mano, president of NASO, expressedgratitude for PAV O ’s support and participation inthe Summit.

“The groundwork we laid in 2009 with fourassociations sponsoring sessions blossomedinto seven sessions being sponsored in 2010and eight sessions this year in Atlanta,” Manosaid. “Having PAVO on board made thevolleyball breakout session a highlight of theentire Summit for officials. It was a wonderfulreflection on PAV O ’s abili ty to provideauthoritative officiating information.” M a n osaid PAV O ’s presence on site added to theprestige of the event.

“The Summit is the ‘industry event of the year ’for officiating,” he said. “To be able to countPAVO among the supporters and participants inthe Summit simply puts an exclamation point onthat statement.

“The theme for the 2011 Summit was ‘Image inO fficiating: The Perception. The Reality. T h eF o c u s . ’ With the assistance of PAVO and theother 58 Summit support organizations we notonly explored those topics in depth, but wehelped sports officials to better fulf il l theirpromise. The challenges and opportunitieso fficials and their leaders in every sport face arecommon ones. The Summit, its growth and reachstands as a testament to that fact."

by NASO Staff

PAVO STEPS UP DURING NASO SUMMIT

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CANDIDATE PROFILES FOR 2011 ELECTION

This fall, all registered PAVO members will have theopportunity to vote for and elect a new Director-At-Large. Members with Internet access are asked tocast electronic ballots. The PAVO office will distributean announcement around Nov. 1 with instructions onthe voting procedures. Those who need a paper ballotmust contact Miki Kennedy at the PAVO Central Office(pavo@pavo.org). The election will remain open untilNov. 15th.

There are three candidates running for the position ofDirector-At-Large. Here are profiles of the candidatesand the position they are running for:

Director-At-Large

A Director-At-Large is required to attend the annualboard meeting and participate in scheduled boardmeeting conference calls. They are charged withsoliciting member input and providing general memberperspectives to the Board of Directors. They alsoassist in coordinating the annual convention and otherspecial projects at the direction of the President. TheDirector-At-Large members are to communicateregularly with PAVO members and monitormembership trends.

Donnie Goodwin

Donnie Goodwin is a veteran volleyball official withsignificant officiating experience and leadershipexperience.

Goodwin received his PAVO and USAV nationalratings in 1996. He has served as a clinician andmember of the training team of referees for both USAVand PAVO. He has also served on the national ratingteam for both organizations.

Goodwin has a history of leadership in volleyballserving as head referee and assigner at majorvolleyball events. He is also currently the board chairof the SWESKY Board of Officials. He also has servedas an assigner of collegiate volleyball officials forDivision I and II and NAIA conferences.

G o o d w i n ’s officiating resume includes off i c i a t i n gseveral NAIA championships as well as officiating inthe NCAA Division I post-season championship series.Goodwin currently officiates Division I and II NCAAvolleyball as well as NAIA matches in 13 differentconferences.

In addition to officiating, Goodwin has helped withvideo-taping the sessions at the PAVO convention andvideo-taping the officials at the NCAA n a t i o n a lchampionships.

Goodwin is interested in becoming a candidate as he,“believes in the goals and philosophies of PAVO andwants to become more involved with the organization.”

Verna Klubnikin

Klubnikin got her start in volleyball officiating quite byaccident. She played volleyball at church and then inhigh school. She took an officiating class with a friendwhile a senior in high school because her friend didn'twant to go by herself. Today, Klubnikin doesn’tremember whether or not she even passed the class.She then went to college where she played volleyballfor four years, graduated, and planned to become alegal secretary. However before she was able to finda job after graduation, a high school assigner who hadofficiated her matches in college called and asked her

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if she would like to officiate some high school matches– for a fee of $12 (for about two hours). Compared tothe $3.25 per hour she was making, the fees forofficiating sounded great, and she became a volleyballreferee.

Since her early days in volleyball, Klubnikin’s careerhas advanced considerably. Today she is a memberof the Southern California Board of Officials and iscurrently the PAVO Representative and Chairpersonof their SCVOA Collegiate Council. She holds a PAVOand USAV National rating and has officiated for theBig12, Big Sky, Big West, Mountain West, PAC-10,WAC, and WCC conferences. Klubnikin has officiatedseven Division I Final Fours along with many DivisionI Regionals and Division I first and second rounds. Shealso has officiated many Mountain West Conferencetournaments. Klubnikin also officiated two Division IIFinal Fours along with several Division II Regionals.She has also been a long time USAV National BeachOfficial. Klubnikin was a linesperson for the 1984Olympics in Los Angeles and a Supervisor of Officialsat the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. She currently ownsand operates Roof Sportswear which sells officiatingapparel and supplies along with volleyball team wearand fashion items.

Klubnikin said that she would like to be a candidate forthe Director-At-Large as, “During these times of muchchange for PAVO, I think running for this positionanother time will bring stability for the Board in the nextcouple of years.”

Jim Momsen

Jim Momsen’s involvement in volleyball has beenevolving for a number of years. He started as arecreational player before becoming a “volleyball dad”while his son played volleyball during his high schoolyears. In 2003 he became a volleyball official, hiscurrent passion in volleyball.

Momsen has grown and developed quickly as avolleyball official, including getting involved inleadership roles. He works regularly as a line judge asDivision I volleyball matches and began officiating as areferee at the Division I level this year. He is currentlya PAVO state referee and a USAV national referee.Momsen helped with the creation of the WisconsinBoard of Officials (WBO) and served as the inauguralboard chair for WBO beginning in 2009. He hasserved as the officials’ assigner for Badger Region andis now serving as the referee chair.

Momsen has served as a trainer and evaluator ofofficials. He also currently works as a line judgeassigner for several Division I and III schools inWisconsin.

In 2011, Momsen received the PAVO MeritoriousService Award for his work in assisting in thedevelopment of the PAVO OTP training clinics,working with the OTP clinic staff to organize andformat the topics for the OTP clinics.

He sums up his philosophy regarding volleyballofficiating and his interest in being a candidate for theDirector-At-Large position: “Volleyball is a great sport.O b v i o u s l y, I’m a very passionate supporter andpromoter of the game and enjoy working with all of thewonderful people involved. I thoroughly enjoyfacilitating the scorekeeping and rules clinics everyseason, as well as observing and developing theofficials that I work with. I’ve been a strong advocatefor the officials that I assign and help to train, and feelthe urge to continue to do more for the game byserving as an advocate for the members of the PAVOcommunity in the Director-At-Large board position. Iwant to give as much as I can back to the game thathas meant so much to my father, to give “kids of allages” (players, parents, fans, coaches, and officials) apositive environment in which to participate, and tohave them be lifelong fans of the game.”

Candidate Profilescontinued from page 6

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A dozen referees and 10 line judges earned their national ratings during PAVO rating sessions this fall. ThePAVO National Rating Team conducted five rating sessions during the first few weeks of the 2011 collegiateseason, including the University of Pittsburgh, University of Texas at El Paso, University of San Francisco,University of Illinois and University of Central Florida.

The new National officials are:

In conjunction with the referee rating sites at Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Central Florida, PAVO conductedrating sessions for national line judge certification. The following line judges were successful in attaining theirNational Line Judge Certification:

PAVO would like to extend thanks to head raters: Paul Albright, Kathy Ferraraccio, Brian Hemelgarn, JulieVoeck and Mara Wager, and to the members of the 2011 rating team: Donna Carter, Mike Carter, Kevin Cull,Ross Erickson, Donnie Goodwin, Thomas Hoy, Steve Kenyon, Joan Powell, Larry Schwartz and Stacey Weitzel.Their hard work, professionalism, knowledge and teamwork ensured the success of this year’s rating sites.Thanks to all for a job well done!

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by Mara WagerNRT Director

12 REFEREES EARN NATIONAL RATING2011 PAVO National Rating Team update

Terry Bush OhioRobyn Courchane MinnesotaSergio Gonzalez CaliforniaAnthony Hines Ohio

Dean Hoskin IllinoisTerri Looney MarylandTheresa Narantic IllinoisJoseph O’Neal Kentucky

Kimberly Renquest ColoradoAngelle Simms LouisianaLisa Walter OregonChad Zimmerman Pennsylvania

Brenda Kirk MarylandJames Kirkpatrick AlabamaDavid Lambert New YorkKevin Long California

Dale Nester PennsylvaniaDean Roble OhioTed Tracy Rhode Island

Mark Weschler PennsylvaniaKevin Wiemken GeorgiaMatt Zatchey Pennsylvania

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Please review the following updated informationregarding recent actions taken by the PAVO Board ofDirectors:

• The amount each PAVO member will pay fordues to the PAVO central office in 2012 will be$110, up from $45 in 2011. This amount willinclude all PAVO member benefits as well asNCAA registration. (Any non-PAVO memberwho registers with the NCAA will pay $100directly to the NCAA.). An NCAA rule book willbe included, and there are plans for otherpublication and travel benefits to be included aswell. More information on this action will be inthe next edition of the “Official Word.”

• The AVCA Showcase has been eliminated as apoint-earning event for renewing NationalReferee or National Line Judge Certification.

• The Director’s title previously referred to asRules Interpreter will now be called the RulesDirector, with the responsibility of collaboratingwith the NCAA Secretary/Rules-editor (SRE),the NFHS rules liaison, and the USAV RulesInterpreter to represent PAVO members’interests and develop and distribute rulescomparison information.

• A $50 application fee was established forNational Line Judge candidacy, regardless ofapplication method (experience-based or NRTsite).

• A $25 renewal fee was established for NationalLine Judges who renew at the end of their termusing the point-renewal method.

• Experienced-based National Line Judgeapplications must be submitted by Oct. 1 to beapplied to the current year. Forms submittedafter that date will be applied to the initial yearof certification, which will be the next calendaryear.

• Year pins worn by line judges andscorekeepers are to be worn on the right collarlapel rather than on the patch.

• Documentation to be applied to initial BasicLine Judge certification must be submitted byDec. 31 to count for the current year.

• An election process was established for thesituation where there are more than twocandidates on the ballot for a directorship. Amajority vote will be required to win, and if nomajority is obtained on the first ballot, a secondvote will be taken with only those twocandidates who received the most votes on thesecond ballot.

If you have questions about any of the above topics,please contact a Board Delegate or Director-at-Large.Contact information is available on the back of thisOfficial Word.

Do you have a question on a USAV rule?Do you want to know a correct USAV technique?

Are you wondering if you handled the situation in your last match correctly?Do you wonder what USAV tournaments there are to work?

Visit theVolleyball Referee Blog

http://volleyballreftraining.com/usavreftrainingblog/?page_id=2We'll do our best to answer your questions and address your concerns.

See you there!!!!

by Marcia AltermanExecutive Director

DUES INCREASE AMONG RECENT ACTIONS TAKEN BY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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The 2011 PAVO OTP Camps drew high numbers ofreferees looking to continue their growth as volleyballofficials. In 2012, PAVO will continue to provide thesetraining and learning opportunities.

Each year, PAVO offers a limited number ofscholarships to defray the cost of attending an OTPcamp. These scholarships are funded by PAVO,USAV, various Division I conferences and individualdonors. For the 2012 camps, PAVO is now acceptingapplications for those scholarships. Any member ingood standing may apply for a PAVO OTP campscholarship.

Anyone interested in applying for a scholarship shouldsubmit the following materials:

o Scholarship application form (available on thePAVO website in November)

o Letter of Interesto Letter of Recommendation

Your Letter of Interest should describe your officiatinggoals, your personal motivation for officiating and whyyou should be a scholarship recipient. Be honest inyour self-evaluation of goals and motivation. Campsand scholarships are for all levels of officials, from first

timers to those who just desire a tune-up on skills, tothose who want to advance their careers to the nextlevel.

Your Letter of Recommendation should be fromsomeone who is familiar with your work as an officialand should be your Board Chair, a conferenceassignor or a PAVO National referee who has workedwith you or has observed or evaluated you in the last12 months.

Your application materials should be submitted byMarch 1, 2012 to be considered for a campscholarship. All materials must be submitted together- do not submit materials individually. Instructions forsubmitting scholarship applications will be detailed onthe application form and will also be available on thePAVO website.

In order to be considered for a scholarship, theapplicant must be a current PAVO member and mustbe registered for a camp. All scholarships areawarded after the recipient attends the camp.

Check in with the PAVO website for updatedinformation on camps and schedules. Campregistration information will be available later this year.

by Ross EricksonOTP Camp Director

PAVO ANNOUNCES SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS FOR 2012 OTP CAMPS

The USAV Referee Camps Program had greatfeedback last season and we are currently planning forthe 2011-2012 season. If you are planning a refereecamp, any kind of abbreviated camp format or justwanting to bring in USAV Training Team members tohelp with a tournament, let us know and we will beglad to plan with you.

How can we assist you? If your region needs moredetails, wants to experiment with camp structures orwants to find out more information on what has beenworking, please contact me.

Thomas Hoy, USAV National Referee Camp Directorat thoy@satx.rr.com

by Thomas HoyDirector, Nat'l Indoor Ref Camps & Training

USAV REFEREE CAMP PROGRAM

Welcome to the first installment of “Down the Line”, a newsection of the Official Word dedicated to the art of line judging.As the athleticism of players and the speed of the game haveincreased, PAVO has realized the need for an emphasis online judging. Coaches have also stressed that line judges aren o w, more than ever, a critical part of the officiating crew.

With that in mind PAVO introduced the National Line Judgecertification in 2009 - there are now nearly 90 National linejudges. This year, PAVO is requiring all certified line judges tobecome members of a local board. The purpose of thiscolumn is to help educate not only line judges but alsoreferees on the skills, protocol, and teamwork involved to helpfacilitate the best match possible as a crew.

With an almost blank canvas and a seemingly endlessnumber of topics to choose from, it should have been easy topick a topic for this inaugural column. My mind was spinningwith where to start. Then, as if hit by a hard-driven ball, itdawned on me that there is no better place to start than witht e a m w o r k. As line judges and officials, our goal shouldalways be to provide players the best match possible. T h a tstarts with working as a team. And remember, teamworkdoesn't just take place during the match; it starts pre-matchand continues all the way through post-match.

Laying a good foundation of professionalism is an excellentbeginning to working with the rest of the officiating crew. Justas officials do, line judges should verify the start time of thematch with the host facility. If you have never been to thefacility before, it's also a good time to find out where to park,enter the gym, and if there will be an area to change into youruniform. After you have arrived, make it a point to introduceyourself to host management, your fellow line judge, the scoretable crew, and the referees. Although the R1 will conduct aformal meeting with the line judges, now is a good time to findout how many balls will be in rotation, if and where the ballretrievers will be located, and the exit protocol for intermissionand the conclusion of the match. The line judges should alsotake a few minutes to get ready by moving onto the court andwatching lines during warm-ups. Don't be shy! Trust me, theplayers enjoy the target practice.

One of the most overlooked areas of teamwork between the

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referees and the line judges is the pre-match meeting with theR1. Most officials have been through this conference so manytimes it almost becomes a formality, but neither line judges norreferees should think of it this way. Basic ground rules of thematch should be covered, such as the use of pursuit, but moreimportantly this is an excellent chance for the R1 to determinethe experience level of the line judges. The R1 can then tailorthe discussion to be commensurate with the line judges'background. Line judges should take this opportunity to clarifyany protocol questions and verify the expectations of the R1.Showing mutual respect for one another creates a great teamenvironment for the match.

With this solid foundation, the match should go well. The bestevidence of teamwork during the match is the sense ofcommunication between the line judges and R1. Watch thebest line judges and referees work together -- you can sensethe unspoken communication. Line judges make confidentsignals and have great eye contact on every play no matterhow obvious the call. The R1 may not make eye contact eachtime but keeps the line judges in the match. Maintaining thisconstant communication assures when the close call is made,both the line judges and the referees are confident the team isworking together to get it right.

The final piece of the teamwork puzzle is the post-matchdebrief. Obviously the crew should discuss any unusualsituations or controversies, but this is also a great time toprovide feedback to one another. Referees should be openwith line judges about what was done well and what may bean area for improvement. Referees should also allow linejudges to provide feedback on the match, especially in thearea of on-court communication. Finally, referees need to fillout post-match reports i n c l u d i n g information on the linejudges. Much like referees, most line judges are seekingbigger and better matches. Without these feedback loops, linejudges may never realize those opportunities.

Whether I am working as a line judge or a referee, the lastthing I say to myself before the first serve is “let's give them thebest match possible.” Working as a team is a great start tofulfilling that mantra -- at least that's how I see it, looking downthe line.

by Andy MartinNational Line Judge

DOWN THE LINE

12

Being Officious Isn't Judicious

C O R N Y ’ SORNER Corny Galdones

During a break in action, you turn around and tell him to coolit. You're asking for trouble. Let her coach handle thisloudmouth. This actual incident may be extreme, but you getthe idea. Keep an eye on what's going on. When there's anissue, step in if it interferes with the competition or could makea lawyer richer, which, sad to say, happens mostly in A m e r i c a .Otherwise, ignore it and move on. You have more importantmatters to look after as it is. Stay focused.

Depending on how you look at it, rules fortunately orunfortunately are necessary. Becoming hung up on the ruleswill tie you up in knots. Tying knots is for newlyweds andsailors, not officials. Besides, rules are only guidelines,common sense takes precedence. Granted, most times youhave no choice but to go by the book. However, doing thisautomatically is a crutch, a sign of poor officiating. It's similarto a habit of overusing a drug, an addiction. Addiction createszombies. Surely, that's not you. Learn to manage without thisdependency by using your head as much as possible todevelop sound judgment. Think! Better yet, think smart.While you're at it, be open and flexible. No doubt in your mind,whatever you produce is tops. Or is it? You don't want to hearit, do you? You know best, of course, at least you feel you do.Go on, be stubborn and declare “my way or the highway” ifyou want to leave a sour taste in the mouths of others.

How about trying this instead? Listen. It won't cost you a centto do so. In fact, it may be worth your while because it invitesinput that could turn out to be better than what you came upwith. Blowing off any offered suggestion doesn't do you anygood. Hear it out. Take up its advice if it beats yours handsdown. Being too proud to adjust can trip a person up. Don'tlet that be you.

What everything boils down to is this nutritious food for thoughtthat's neither malicious nor facetious. Being officious isambitious but not judicious. Poetic license aside, let the gamecome to you. Tighten up but lighten up to give you that fineedge. Good officials do.

Good officials are easy to tell apart. They just have it. Free ofairs, their greater technical skills and regal presence jump rightout at you. Ever watchful, they attend to every detail withoutbeing a killjoy or getting in the way, aware of when to back offas a rule and when to rule as needed. They're ever careful,too, of doing nothing wrong or extra to draw attention. A i m i n gto go nameless, these strong officials are seen and not heard,putting our trust in them at ease.

Confident to let their performance speak for itself, they takecare of business and mind their own business. In other words,they do their job, do it well but are not officious. Some of uscan't seem to resist being officious, ending up in a bad light.We have the urge to insert ourselves into every piece of actionaround us. If you're dying to be noticed or recognized, go forit. Show you know it all by making certain every rule andprocedure is followed to the very letter in every chance youget. Insist it's perfect, not taking “no” for an answer. T h r o wyour weight around and take over since things are doomed tofail unless you butt in to instruct others what to do and how todo it. Being a royal pain is minor. So what? You'll be famousand talked about, that's for sure.

Stop! If what was just said flew right over your head, it'snonsense. Only someone who's one less letter than banalwould carry on like this. You don't want to go there. Yo u ' r ebetter off as an official to know what you must control and whatyou should leave well enough alone. If a situation doesn't fallunder your authority, you're wise to keep out of it. Who caresif you feel something out of your hands is out of hand? Will itdo any harm? Is it invading your space? If not, don't wasteyour time getting worked up and involved. If you're annoyedor concerned, get over it. Take a deep breath, relax. The sunwill rise again tomorrow, trust me. Hold yourself back insticking your neck out or sticking your nose in where it doesn'tb e l o n g .

Here's an example. A dad (it's always the dad) in the standsbehind you is yelling abuse at his daughter who's playing.

by Corny Galdones

13

by Anne PufahlOTP-Clinic Director

2011 OTP CLINICS DRAW MORE THAN 1,700

This year’s OTP clinic provided rule clarifications,techniques and professional development informationto more than 1,700 officials at 28 cities. Continuousincreases in attendance each year shows theimportance of an in-person clinic.

Despite the fact that this was a non-rule change year,the feedback regarding the clinic curriculum wasoverwhelmingly positive. I have personally reviewedeach and every evaluation and was impressed at howwell the material was received.

I want to personally thank all the clinic hosts for puttingin the hard work to organize and run the individualclinics. This is a thankless job, so make sure you giveyou clinic host a pat on the back.

I also want to thank PAVO Member Services DirectorMiki Kennedy who works quietly behind the scenes.She handles all the online registration questions (andcomplaints) with little or no credit. Please give Miki abig pat on the back for all of her hard work.

Finally, my gratitude is extended to the clinicians whogave up their valuable summer vacation weekends totravel across the country to conduct clinics. Thisyear’s clinicians were: Marcia Alterman, Mary Blalock,Mike Carter, Brian Hemelgarn, Joan Powell, SteveThorpe and Anne Pufahl,

Although the winds of change may be blowing, I amhoping that everyone understands the value of a liveand in-person clinic.

Continued on page 15

14

Birmingham-Southern. About her former teacher,m e n t o r, and friend, Coach Green commented:“Barbara has been an inspiration to me since seventhgrade. She encouraged me to be who I wanted to beand to dream big. It has been rewarding to have herin my life as an official during my coaching careerwhere I could still see her passion for a sport we bothlove dearly. She has impacted so many people and Iam thankful to have been one of those lucky people.”

Vaughn began officiating volleyball in 1971 as a way toreturn something to the sport that had provided somuch to her. She earned her NAGWS Nationalcertification in 1982, after being rated by Fish Gupton,who went on to become a great friend and positiveinfluence on Vaughn. Melinda Voorhies, another closefriend in officiating and current Supervisor of VolleyballOfficials for the Southeastern Conference (SEC), saidabout Barbara, “I don’t think anybody will ever forgether. She’s real.” Vaughn’s authenticity was apparentin the way she officiated, helping her to many post-season officiating assignments.

Barbara Vaughn dedicated more than 40 years to thesport of volleyball, but last week she announced herretirement from officiating. Her dedication and serviceto our avocation does not go unnoticed, as sheencouraged and developed many new andexperienced officials, coaches, and players. Vaughn’slist of accomplishments and accolades is long, but thehighlight of her career has been “meeting and workingwith so many great partners and people. Theircontinued friendships have meant so much to meover the years,” she said.

Vaughn is known for her constant smile, her genuinepersonality, her integrity, and—because of her stature(5’2”)—for using a monogrammed, hand-painted stepstool on the stand at many sites. She helped todevelop and mentor some of the southeast region’stop officials, and helped to influence players to pursueofficiating. She made impressions on one youngstudent-athlete, BJ Willard, a former standout player atEast Tennessee State and currently a PAVO Nationalofficial. Willard fondly remembers Vaughn’s first yearsof officiating in the early 1970s. “We were alwayshappy to see her bounce through the gym doors… likeshe couldn’t wait to officiate volleyball,” she said.

After a career as a four-year letter winner as setter,and after earning her Master’s Degree, both atWestern Carolina University, Vaughn took her first jobas a health and physical education teacher. Sheremained on faculty at Waynesville Middle School—the school where she continued to teach for the next34 years—until her retirement from teaching in 2005.One of her students at Waynesville, Judy Green, wenton to have a stellar career as a volleyball, softball, andbasketball player at Western Carolina University.Green then entered the coaching profession as headvolleyball coach at Montevallo, Alabama, and currently

by Suzanne Dodd Weissenburger

BARBARA VAUGHN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

15

Barbar Vaughncontinued from page 14

A career of 40 years certainly contains manymemorable officiating moments. She earned theprivilege of working in 17 NCAA Division I and IInational tournaments, two NJCAA N a t i o n a lChampionships, and one NAIA N a t i o n a lChampionship. Despite all these numerous post-season assignments, one moment that stands outabove all the rest involves an exhibition match that sheofficiated in the early 1990s involving a team of threemen who travelled the country to play various collegevolleyball teams. One of the players playfully argueda call with her as she worked as first referee. At 7 feet1 inch, NBA All-Star Wilt Chamberlain stood face-to-face with Vaughn as she assessed him a yellow card,all in good fun.

Great officiating accomplishments mark Va u g h n ’sstellar career, but it’s the valuable friendships shedeveloped over the years that helped maintain herenthusiasm for the sport, even through double kneereplacements and health concerns within her family.She looked forward to dressing up in costume with

PAVO RefSchool – 1000 PAVO members can’t be wrong!It would still be valuable to use RefSchool to increase your rules knowledge for the

remainder of the 2011 season.

“It’s the best preparation tool I’ve ever used” – a direct quote from a grateful memberwho enrolled in RefSchool last year and did better than ever on the examination.

Once again, all 2011 examination questions have been included in the bank ofRefSchool questions.

Select brief study quizzes that cover specific NCAA rules, or take a complete 25-question practice examination. Get immediate feedback and rule references.

Subscription fees: PAVO members - $10, non-members - $15.

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Subscribe now, so you don't forget! Look for the link on the PAVO home page tonavigate to RefSchool!

close friend Fish Gupton for matches played onHalloween, she enjoyed off days on the golf coursewith fellow officials, and she’s probably the only officialwho can boast her own fan club at one Division I site!The team’s 7th Man Club members, reading the namepainted on her step stool, created a doll resemblingBarbara, complete with pompons and matching hair.Not only did she make her mark on officiating, but sheleft a positive impression on fans as well.

Vaughn will certainly be missed by many people withwhom she served to train, develop, and collaborate.Her contributions to the members of the Mid-AtlanticVolleyball Officials Board (formerly North CarolinaVOB) and to the overall avocation of volleyballofficiating have been indispensable. She can retireknowing that she made an indelible mark on volleyball,and after over 40 years of service to the sport, Barbarahas earned the right to enjoy the stress-free days ofretirement playing competitive pickle ball and singingin her church choir.

The Official WordP.O. Box 780Oxford, KS 67119

Address Service Requested

P R S RT S T DU.S Postage

P A I DWichita, KS

Permit No. 84

Crystal Lewis, President Marcia Alterman, Rules Director Donna Carter, Board DelegateRoss Erickson, OTP-Camp Director Kathy Ferraraccio, Board Delegate Brian Hemelgarn, Examinations DirectorVerna Klubnikin, Director-at-Large Jung Park, Finance Director Anne Pufahl, OTP-Clinic DirectorCarlos Rodriguez, Director-at-Large Julie Voeck, President Elect Mara Wager, National Rating Team Director

StaffMarcia Alterman, Executive Director Miki Kennedy, Membership Services

PAVO Board of Director/Staffwww.pavo.org 1-888-791-2074

USAV Officials Commission/Assembly www.usavolleyball.org

Glenn Sapp, Chair, National Indoor Officials CommTom Blue, Chair, Int'l Indoor Officials CommDonna Wigton, Director, Int'l Indoor ScorersKathy Ferraraccio, Associate Chair, Nat'l Indoor RefereesMichelle Prater, Director, RVA Nat'l Indoor Ref DevelopmentThomas Hoy, Director, Nat'l Indoor Ref Camps & TrainingMichael McPoyle, Director, Nat'l Indoor Ref Clinic DevelopmentBrian Hemelgarn, Director, Nat'l Indoor Ref Eval & CertMichael O'Connor, D i re c t o r, RVA Nat'l Indoor Jr Official DevelopmentDonnie Goodwin, RVA At-Large Ref Representative

Larry Dolvig, Chair, Officials AssemblyEmi Vishoot, Associate Chair, Nat'l Indoor ScorersNancy Funk, Director, Nat'l Indoor Scorer Cert & EvalSteve Crane, Director, RVA Indoor Scorer DevelopmentLynne Updegraff, RVA At-Large Scorer RepresentativeSteve Owen, Chair, Int'l/Nat'l Beach Officials CommKeith Murlless, Director, Beach Ref Cert and EvalSteve Kenyon, Director, RVA Beach Officials DevelopmentTBD, RVA At-Large Beach RepresentativeMarcia Alterman, Member Organization Liaison