Illinois High School Association
| Illinois Track and Cross Country Official Association |
Association's Mission
The mission of the Illinois Track and Cross Country Association is to provide its members with the opportunity to develop
their professional skills to better serve the sports of track and cross country.
To achieve this goal the association provides: training and educational programs for all officials; information on the state
of officiating; retain and recruit officials, through the mentoring program; a code of ethics and sportsmanship and
educational programs for athletes, coaches, administrators and the public.
President's Message
Greetings to the Illinois Track and Cross Country Officials Association from your new President, Owen Fuller, and best
wishes for the 2008 Track and Field and Cross Country seasons. I would like to take this opportunity to repeat the major
points from my State of the Organization comments originally given at the December 2007 ITCCOA Annual Meeting in
Oglesby.
Let us begin by asking ourselves where the ITCCOA is today, what our strengths are and why are we an effective
organization. The answers to these questions fit in three major categories: Professionalism, Recruitment and Mentoring,
and Recognition.
At our Annual Meeting, email comments from both IESA and IHSA coaches were read praising the professionalism and
consistency of our officials in the Cross Country state series at both the Junior High and High School levels. Many
coaches look to officials wearing blue jackets with orange sleeves as a sign that they are going to have a well-run meet.
Also, due in a large degree to the efforts of many ITCCOA members, the new three-class IHSA State Meet went very
smoothly, as shown by comments by the IHSA’s Ron McGraw and Meet Manager Chris Perry at our Annual Meeting.
For the past several years the ITCCOA, through a grant from the IHSA, has provided a Rules Test Review PowerPoint CD
for use by our section leaders to stimulate discussion of the rules among our members. In addition, all of the rules
interpreters and clinicians in Track and Field and Cross Country in Illinois are members of the ITCCOA. They represent
our organization as well as the IHSA in providing professional education to coaches and officials throughout the state.
Furthermore, the head officials in the Track and Field and Cross Country state series are ITCCOA members, leading
corps of officials in what are nationally recognized as outstanding State Meets.
Several years ago, through a second grant from the IHSA, the ITCCOA started a mentoring program for new officials. We
have also cooperated with the coaches in the ITCCCA in putting on new officials clinics with the goal of recruiting new
officials. One only has to look at the numbers of officials in our sports, and their average age, to see that mentoring and
recruitment efforts must be continued.
Our organization has also created two award programs to recognize those who excel. This year at our Annual Meeting,
we inducted three more outstanding officials into our Hall of Fame, and recognized our second annual Rookie of the Year.
Now let us ask ourselves where the ITCCOA needs to go in the future. Obviously, this organization needs to continue to
grow and strengthen in the areas of Professionalism, Recruitment and Mentoring, and Recognition. But we also need to
work on at least two additional areas: Communications and the Observers Program.
All of us, from the top down, need to work at improving communications between members of the ITCCOA, and between
the ITCCOA and the IHSA. The officers and section leaders must effectively communicate with each other to determine
the future direction for this organization. We must also relay our plans and other important news to our members, and
bring ideas, information and concerns back from our members. Our members will need to continue to communicate with
each other to maintain the high degree of professionalism which is a hallmark of the ITCCOA.
As part of this improved communications, we need to make better use of our website, ITCCOA.org. All of us should be
contributing pertinent information to the website for the good of all officials. We all need to also check the website on a
regular basis to find out what new information is available. For example, the new IHSA Severe Weather policy has been
posted on the ITCCOA website for the benefit of our members.
The IHSA has mandated that all officials associations start an observers program, with the ultimate goal of improving
officiating in the State of Illinois. The ITCCOA is taking the necessary steps to implement this program. At this time, the
details are still being discussed. We must determine who will be observed, by whom, how often, and using what
instrument. What we do know is that the evaluations do not go to the IHSA for any purpose.
I would like to close by saying that it gives me great pride to be associated with an organization such as the ITCCOA, and
that I am sure we of the ITCCOA will continue to help provide memorable experiences to the Track and Field and Cross
Country athletes of the State of Illinois.
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| Illinois Track and Cross Country Official Association |