Greetings OCSOA Friends -
The 2011 season has begun. Thank you all for the time, energy, concentration, gas money, patience and humor you are about to expend on behalf of the student-athletes, coaches and schools we serve. Fall is an exciting time on college campuses and teams are very eager to kick off their seasons.
A couple of reminders as we embark on our work:
- Referees must confirm match details with their crews 72 hours in advance of the match and 48 hours in advance with the host institution. ARs who do not receive confirmation from the Referee should contact the Referee. Please do not contact the school individually or travel to the game expecting to have a full crew if you have not confirmed the match details in advance.
- Referees must complete the Game Report on the OCSOA ArbiterSports site within 24 hours post-game. When completing the Game Report, please include names and jersey numbers of all players who receive cards or are seriously injured. Ditto for coaches who are carded. When composing your report, please remember to stick to the facts and tie those facts to approved rulings in the rule book. If you issue a red card, please call Rizal Milliken (513) 545-7380 immediately after the game to alert him to the situation, in addition to filing all of the required paperwork. Ditto if you have an incident of a serious nature i.e. the squad is called. Or the Police.
- Know the substitution rule.
- Know the overtime procedure.
- Only NISOA uniforms are to be worn on OCSOA games. No USSF gear should be worn at any time during the match.
- Have fun.
- Please promote professionalism by not using your cell phone/blackberry/Droid/iPhone at the field, during halftime or any other time during the match. Yes, I have to mention this........
- Be sure to sign the official game book/score sheet at the field, before you leave the site of competition. If the scorekeeper agrees to bring it to you in the locker room that is great - just make sure that happens before you depart.
- Have fun.
- Please respect all parking ordinances, locker room facilities, etc. while on each campus. Your OCSOA fees do not cover parking fines, nor do our conference assignor contracts expunge such items from your record.
- Have fun.
- Be sure to complete all payment information as requested for each game - even if you have been to a school multiple times. Business Offices issue payment per event, not per payee.
- Have fun. I mean it.
Again, thank you for all the sacrifices you make to ensure soccer student-athletes have a safe, positive, competitive experience on the field this season. We know you drive great distances, burn vacation time from work and see very little of your families in the fall. We sincerely appreciate your efforts.
The OCSOA Board
Dear OCSOA Friends,
We are pleased to announce the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) has asked the OCSOA to become their supervisor of soccer officials, effective immediately. The OAC is a ten (10) member NCAA Division III conference with teams spanning the state of Ohio. The OAC is a storied organization - one of the three oldest conferences in the U.S. (predated only by the MIAA and the Big Ten) and was once the home of several North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) institutions including Denison, Hiram, Oberlin, Ohio Wesleyan, Wittenberg and Wooster. Start brushing up now on your OAC trivia for the Annual Business Meeting in March!
In the spirit of cooperation, we are inviting NOCSOA members to join OCSOA for 2011, as dual members, at no fee. Please make our NOCSOA colleagues feel welcome as you work matches together this fall.
For those of you not familiar with the OAC, the four new institutions that we now serve (in addition to the six we previously served) are:
Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea
John Carroll University, University Heights
Heidelberg University, Tiffin
University of Mt. Union, Alliance
With this new contract, we are asking each of you to go back into ArbiterSports.com and update your travel limits and availability. We also ask that you PLEASE BE GENEROUS with your flexibility so we may assign the best officials to all matches. For those of you who are baseball fans, music buffs, art lovers or theatre supporters, Baldwin-Wallace and John Carroll are located within 20 minutes of downtown Cleveland - home to some of the best attractions in the state. If you work games for other assignors and know when you will be in northeast Ohio, we can try to schedule OCSOA games that are convenient for you. Please let Rizal Milliken know your plans.
Speaking of scheduling, it is our intent to complete and publish the first round of assignments as early as the end of February. Please watch your email account for messages and respond within the time frame provided. We also hope to have all OCSOA Fitness Tests completed by the end of April, in order to use the results to confirm or adjust assignments. If you take the Fitness Test in another chapter, please have the results sent to OCSOA. If you want more or 'better' assignments, we strongly recommend you participate in a NISOA PPT as early in the spring as possible.
Reminder: the Annual Business Meeting is Sunday, March 6 at 10:00 a.m. at the Mid Ohio Select Soccer League (MOSSL) Office located at 670 Lakeview Plaza Boulevard, Suite D, Worthington, Ohio, 43085.
Lastly, sincere apologies for the oversight of not congratulating Michelle Cowman on the recent birth of her daughter Emilee Rose! This omission was unintended, and we are looking forward to the day Emilee Rose joins OCSOA and receives her NISOA badge.
Questions about scheduling, availability, ArbiterSports.com? Contact Rizal Milliken - assignor@ocsoa.net
Questions about anything else? Contact Kathleen Dolan - president@ocsoa.net
Thank you again, for all you do for the OCSOA, college student-athletes, our client institutions and the game of soccer. We look forward to seeing you soon!
The OCSOA Board
Dear OCSOA Friends,
Happy New Year. I hope 2011 is off to a good start for you and your families. Congratulations to Michael and Lori Salyers on the birth of their son Chase.
Thank you all for a great season in 2010. Your cooperation, flexibility and understanding resulted in a fairly smooth fall. Hard to believe, but we are preparing for the fall 2011 season already. To that end, I ask that you save the following dates and plan to join us for one or more of the activities listed below.
- Sunday, March 6, 2011 - Annual Business Meeting* and Clinics** - Columbus, OH
- April TBD - Physical Performance Tests - Various Locations (check web site, RSVPs required at each site)
- TBD July - Referee Night at The Columbus Crew*** - Columbus, OH
- Thursday-Saturday, July 14-16 - NISOA Annual Convention - Dallas, TX
- Sunday, July 24 - Annual Rules Meeting and Clinics** - Dayton, OH
- Sunday, August 7 - Annual Rules Make-Up Meeting and Clinics - TBD (this is intentional, location will not be determined prior to July 25)
* The Annual Business Meeting counts as one (1) meeting credit toward the three (3) required for membership renewal.
** Two (2) clinics will be offered at each meeting, thus eliminating the need for local workshops in the late summer/early fall. Please plan accordingly.
*** Referee Night at the Crew will continue to count for one (1) meeting attendance. Please plan accordingly.
More importantly, the game assignment process has begun and we hope to start publishing schedules as early as February. If you have not already done so, please go into Arbitersports (make sure you are in Group 101984), update your information, update your availability and check the READY box. You will not be eligible for assignments in our group until you check this box.
As you know, the North Coast Athletic Conference has added DePauw University in Greencastle, IN. DePauw is a soccer powerhouse and should be enjoyable to officiate. I urge you to consider adjusting your travel limits to include Greencastle, if only on weekends.
Lastly, I am pleased to announce that Dan Cullin has graciously agreed to be our New Director of Assessment. We thank Ken Baldeosingh for his five years of service in this role. If you would like to be assessed in 2011, or better, wish to become an Assessor, please contact Dan at: dancullin@gmail.com
Thank you all, again, for making the OCSOA a success. Best wishes for a beautiful 2011.
The OCSOA Board
Dear OCSOA Friends - a reminder that the 2011 NISOA/OCSOA Renewal deadline is fast approaching on December 15th. Please send the attached renewal form, along with the appropriate payment, to: Michael Kinder
Please check with your Regional Advisory Member regarding your game assignment fees (including turnbacks).
News:
- Final Four Assignments - Kudos to Chris Penso and Chico Grajeda for being chosen to work the Men's DI Final Four in Santa Barbara, CA later this month.
- Congratulations to Daniel Durnell, who is recently engaged and will bet married next June.
- Congratulations to Dusty Matthews, on the arrival of his first grandchild, Bennett in November.
Thank you all, again, for your hard work and dedication to college soccer student-athletes. Best wishes for a safe holiday season and a wonderful new year.
The OCSOA Board
Dear OCSOA Friends -
The Annual Rules Make-up Meeting scheduled for Sunday, August 8 at 10:00 a.m. will be held at the following location:
View Larger Map
2875 Presidential Drive, Fairborn, OH 45324
Roberto Vandewyngard has graciously offered to host this meeting at his office. Please RSVP to Cory Cusmano if you plan to attend (cory.cusmano@accenture.com).
Reminder: you must attend an Annual Rules Meeting to renew your OCSOA/NISOA membership. If you have attended a meeting outside of OCSOA, please send documentation to your regional representative. You must also attend three (3) local rules meetings. The Annual Business Meeting, Referee Night at the Crew, Local Clinics, NISOA Training Camp, NISOA National Camp and the NISOA Convention Clinics all count toward this total. Please direct questions to your regional representative.
Thank you all - enjoy the remainder of your summer,
The OCSOA Board
A reminder that our Annual Rules Meeting will be Saturday, July 24 at the MOSSL Office in Worthington (http://www.mossl.org/Assets/mossl_assets/files/NewMOSSLMap.pdf). The rules meeting will be followed by two (2) NISOA Local Rules Clinics. After the NISOA Clinics, Don Muenz will conduct an OHSAA Rules Meeting. Approximate start time is 2:30 p.m.
In an effort to save the planet, the OCSOA Annual Rules Meeting will be ‘green’ this year. No handouts will be produced and distributed. All relevant documents have been posted to the OCSOA web site, where you may download them at your convenience. Documents for this year's meeting include: 2010 NISOA Soccer Guide, 2010 NISOA Preseason Guide, 2010 NCAA Rules Changes, and the meeting agenda. Name tags, the refresher test and the rules changes will be provided.
The tentative agenda is:
| 9:30 a.m. | Registration and Packet Pick-up | Everyone | ||||||||||
| 10:00 a.m. | Introductions and Agenda | Kathleen Dolan | ||||||||||
| 10:05 a.m. | Secretary Election | Ed Shoemaker | ||||||||||
| 10:15 a.m. | Regional Chapter Meetings | Regional Advisory Members | ||||||||||
| 10:30 a.m. | 2010 Rules Changes Review, Critical Incidents and Match Analysis |
Dan Cullin | ||||||||||
| 11:15 a.m. | Rules Refresher Test | Everyone | ||||||||||
| 11:45 a.m. | Review of Refresher Test | Dan Cullin | ||||||||||
| 12:00 p.m. |
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| 12:30 p.m. | Optional Local Rules Clinic* | Dan Cullin | ||||||||||
| 1:30 p.m. | Optional Local Rules Clinic* | Dan Cullin | ||||||||||
| 2:30 p.m. | OHSAA Rules Interpretation Meeting* | Don Muenz |
Please remember you need to attend three (3) local rules meetings + the Annual Rules Meeting to renew your OCSOA/NISOA membership. Referee Night at the Crew counts as ONE (1) meeting (not two –that is High School). The Annual Business Meeting in March also counts as ONE (1) meeting. Depending upon interest, the two local rules meetings may be condensed into one ‘super session.’
In order to determine how many folks plan to attend Don’s OHSAA session, please reply to this message with your intentions to do so. If at all possible, the OHSAA meeting will start earlier than 2:30 p.m.
Please also note we will be conducting an election for Secretary. Brian Apwisch, Ed Biesiada and Michael Lause have expressed interest in the position. Additional nominations should be sent to Election Chairperson, Ed Shoemaker (epaed@aol.com).
Dear OCSOA Members:
A reminder of our upcoming events:
OCSOA Annual Business Meeting and Elections
Saturday, March 27, 2010 @ 9:00 a.m.
R.W. Corns Building 312
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH
NISOA Town Hall Meeting with Special Guest Cliff McCrath, Executive Director
10:15 a.m.
R.W. Corns Building 312
NISOA Regional Referee Clinics
11:30 a.m.
R.W. Corns Building 312
*Boxed lunches will be served
NISAO Assessor Clinics
11:30 a.m.
R.W. Corns Building 304
For directions to Ohio Wesleyan's R.W. Corns Building, please follow this link: http://visit.owu.edu/drivingDirectionsAndMaps.html
There is no fee to attend any of these events, but in order to ensure adequate seating and food, we request that you RSVP to Kathleen Dolan (president@ocsoa.net) if you plan to participate. Please do so by Wednesday, March 24th
We hope to see many of you on Saturday, March 27th in Delaware
The OCSOA Board
OCSOA Annual Business Meeting and Elections 2010
NISOA Regional Clinic
Ohio Wesleyan University
Saturday, March 27, 2010
A reminder that the Ohio Collegiate Soccer Officials Association will host a full day of NISOA activities on Saturday, March 27th. All activities will be held in the R. W. Corns building on the campus of Ohio Wesleyan University. RSVPs are required and should be sent to Kathleen Dolan at: president@ocsoa.net
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09:00: OCSOA Annual Business Meeting and Elections - R.W. Corns Building Room 302.
- Elections are set for president, vice president, treasurer and secretary as well as for the regional advisory member for Columbus and the regional advisory member for Cincinnati. Please send all nominations to Elections Chair Ed Shoemaker at: epaed@aol.com by Wednesday, March 24, 2010.
- Break
- 10:30: NISOA Town Hall Meeting led by Cliff McCrath, Executive Director - R.W. Corns Building Room 302
- Break: A Complimentary Boxed Lunch will be provided
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11:45:
- Referee Instruction Session I led by Dan Cullin, OCSOA and Bill Nest, NOCSOA - R.W. Corns Building Room 302
- Assessor Workshop Session I led by Ken Baldeosingh, OCSOA and Bob Sherman, NOCSOA - R.W. Corns Building Room 303
- Break
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13:30:
- Referee Instruction Session II led by Dan Cullin, OCSOA and Bill Nest, NOCSOA - R.W. Corns Building Room 302
- Assessor Workshop Session II led by Ken Baldeosingh, OCSOA and Bob Sherman, NOCSOA - R.W. Corns Building Room 303
- 15:30: Wrap-up and Conclusion - R.W. Corns Building Room 302
Directions and a map of the OWU campus can be found at: http://visit.owu.edu/map.html
One (1) meeting credit will be given for each attendance at the Annual Business Meeting, either referee session and/or the assessor session. A total of three (3) meeting credits can be received for attending the full day of activities.
Please RSVP to Kathleen Dolan by Wednesday, March 24 at: president@ocsoa.net
We look forward to seeing everyone on March 27th at Ohio Wesleyan University!
The OCSOA Board
Dear OCSOA members:
Please note the change in our calendar
The OCSOA Annual Business Meeting, originally scheduled for March 13 in Cincinnati, has been changed. We will now meet:
Saturday, March 27, 2010
9:00 a.m.
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH 43015
Corns Building (http://visit.owu.edu/map.html)
Dear OCSOA Friends,
Happy New Year. I sincerely hope 2010 is off to a good start for you, your family and your loved ones. Hard as it may be to imagine, we are already preparing for the 2010 college soccer season. Please add the following key dates and events to your calendar:
- March 13: Annual Business Meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio
- March 27: Assessor Clinic (in partnership with NOCSOA) - location TBD
- July 15-18: NISOA Annual Convention in Bethleham, PA
- Annual Rules Meeting in Columbus, Ohio
- August 8 - Annual Rules Make-up Meeting - location TBD
Physical Performance Tests (PPTs) are required each year and in 2010, all PPTs will be held in March and April to coincide with match assignments. Watch your email and this site for dates, times and locations in your area. A score of .25 or higher is required to receive any game assignments from OCSOA in 2010.
Dear OCSOA Friends:
Just a few reminders as we being the 2009 season:
- NCAA Ejections need to be faxed or emailed to NISOA Region VII Representative John Kipp within 24 hours of the incident so they may be forwarded to the appropriate Athletic Directors for proper disposition. John prefers email to: kipster10@hotmail.com. You can also fax reports to John’s office at (330) 723-4226. Please use the current Ejection form found on the NISOA and OCSOA website. If your game involves a FIGHT, please notify John immediately on his cell phone number (216) 401-1333. John requests that calls not be made after 11:00 p.m. Stick to the facts of the game and use the correct terminology. Your report will be scrutinized closely by all parties involved.
- Referees should contact their assistant referees at least three days prior to all scheduled matches.
- Referees should contact the home school at least two (preferably three) days prior to all scheduled matches.
- Contact is defined as making actual connection via email, phone, text, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Leaving a message that is not returned does not qualify.
- Assistant referees should contact their referees two days in advance of all scheduled matches if the referee fails to initiate contact.
- Under no circumstances should any member of the crew travel to a game site without actual contact with both the home school and fellow officials.
- Officials should arrive at the game site no later than one (1) hour in advance of scheduled kick-off. Thirty minutes prior is no longer acceptable. If road construction or another legitimate cause prevents you from arriving on time, PLEASE call the home school coach/administrator to alert them that you are on your way. Carry the phone number of the home school coach/administrator with you to all games.
- The referee must complete the game report on Arbiter within twenty-four hours of completion of the match. This is critical, please do not ignore this responsibility. Doug, Rizal and I receive a lot of feedback from our clients about your performance - do yourself a favor and document what happened in the match in your Arbiter game report so we can back you up when we get that phone call. Additionally, officials working future games involving our clients benefit from your knowledge and experience so please do the post-game report.
- Do not 'switch' assignments among your crew at game time. If you are the assigned referee and you are unable to perform your role, CALL Rizal immediately. There are many reasons we have assigned each of you to your role, please do not take it upon yourself to make changes. This includes adding an unpaid fourth official to your match. If you wish to do this and have a willing volunteer, you MUST call Rizal prior to implementing such a maneuver.
- Please make sure the referee completes the game report in Arbiter within twenty four hours of completion of the match.
- Review the rule book and make sure you understand the severe weather policy. It is not acceptable to ignore or pretend not to see/hear lightning/thunder in an attempt to play the game to the 70th minute. While coaches may ask you to do so, such decisions will result in removal from all assignments and possible suspension. Athletic Directors/other administrators attend our games and are watching. If a tape of a game being played with lightning in the sky overhead surfaces, the officials involved will be held accountable. Please do not put yourself or your crew in this situation.
- Did I mention that you should make sure the referee completes the game report in Arbiter within twenty four hours of completion of the match?
- When completing the game report in Arbiter, please be sure all game details are agreed upon by all members of the crew prior to submission. It is difficult to address an issue not included in the game report and 'remembered' by only one member of the crew. Compare notes before leaving the game site and be sure all information matches.
Have Fun! This is, afterall, a game.
Greetings OCSOA Friends -
I hope 2009 is off to a great start for you and your families. As we prepare for the 2009 season, please mark your calendars and plan to join us for the following activities. More details will be provided later this spring and will be posted on the OCSOA web site:
- Saturday, March 21, 2009 - Annual Business Meeting in Columbus (MOSSL Office)
- Wednesday, April 1, 2009 - OCSOA New Member Application Deadline
- May 2009 - Physical Performance Tests in four regions of OCSOA (locations TBD)
- July 2009 - Referee Night at The Crew (date TBD)
- Saturday, July 18, 2009 - Annual Rules Meeting in Dayton (location TBD)
- Sunday, August 2, 2009 - Annual Rules Make-up Meeting (location TBD)
- Tuesday, December 1, 2009 - OCSOA/NISOA Renewal Deadline
A reminder about annual requirements - you must complete the following each year in order to renew as a full, active member of NISOA:
- Physical Performance Test
- Written Refresher Test
- Annual Rules Meeting
- Three (3) Local Rules Meetings - the Annual Business Meetings COUNTS toward this requirement
- Pay Dues to NISOA and OCSOA
Please contact your Regional Advisory Member if you have any questions about these NISOA requirements.
We look forward to seeing you in March at the Annual Business Meeting.
Dear OCSOA Friends -
You are cordially invited to join us for the:
OCSOA Annual Business Meeting
Saturday, March 21, 2009
10:00 a.m. - Noon
Mid-Ohio Select Soccer League Office
670 Lakeview Plaza Boulevard, Suite D
Worthington, Ohio 43085
(614) 436-6775
Tentative Agenda
Introductions and Welcome
Secretary's Report
Treasurer's Report
Regional Advisory Members' Reports
Game Assignment Report
Coaches' Feedback Report
Assessment Report
President's Report
Elections for Regional Advisory Members - Dayton and Northwest
Q & A and Adjournment
Reminder: The annual business meeting COUNTS toward the required three (3) local rules meetings for NISOA renewal. Several exciting developments have occurred in the OCSOA over the winter - please plan to attend this meeting to learn of the exciting changes for 2009.