CAOA Officials Home

New Email Address

CAOA President, Jeff Spedoske is using a new email address for all CAOA business. The AOL account was compromised. The CAOA apologizes if you have received spam email from that account. Any email regarding CAOA business for Jeff Spedoske should be sent to caoaofficials@gmail.com.

2009-10 CAOA Theme: A More Fit CAOA

At the most recent CAOA Board Meeting, the board decided on a theme for the 2009-10 season. This year, the CAOA will be putting an emphasis on getting in shape and eating right in order to be at your best on the field or court. Every CAOA meeting during 2009-10 will have a fitness component incorporated into the meeting.

5K Run/Walk

As part of the fitness theme for '09-'10, the CAOA will be sponsoring a 5K run. We are encouraging our membership to train for and complete the Women Working Wonders 5K Run/Walk, Sunday, September 13. The event takes place at Hawk Island in East Lansing. The 5K kicks off at 9:30 am and will be followed by a CAOA cookout. Every CAOA member who completes the 5K will receive a meeting point. We will be sending out more information at a later date but you might want to start training as soon as possible! Here is a link to the race web site:

http://www.sparrow.org/foundation/runwalk/event.asp

2009-10 Meeting Schedule

The 2009-10 Meeting Schedule is almost completed. The majority of this year's meetings will be held at the MHSAA Building, 1661 Ramblewood Drive, East Lansing. Our first meeting night will be August 10, Football from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm, General Meeting from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm, and Basketball from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The entire meeting schedule will be posted on the web site as soon as it's finalized.

Membership in Good Standing

Now is the time to check your MIGS status, do not wait until the season starts! If you are a football crew chief, please check on your entire crew as soon as possible. You can see your status with on our web site, www.greatlakesreferee.com, and by logging into the MHSAA site. IF YOU HAVE NOT REGISTERED WITH THE MHSAA FOR 2009-10, WE CANNOT MAKE YOU A MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING UNTIL YOU DO SO. Please register with the MHSAA as soon as possible so we can complete our good standing roster. Any questions regarding MIGS status should be directed to Membership Director, Dan Carmichael, at jendan10@att.net.

CAOA Dues

CAOA Dues should be paid immediately. You will not be included on the MIGS list until your dues are up to date. CAOA dues are $40 per year ($20 for students). Click here for a registration sheet:

http://www.greatlakesreferee.com/highschool/caoa_membership.pdf

Any questions regarding dues should be directed to Treasurer, Eric Wills, at ewills@loeye.com.

CAOA Football Clinic

The CAOA football leadership is in the process of planning the 2009 CAOA Football Clinic. The clinic will run over two days. The first day will be classroom sessions and the second day will be on field training. The on field training will run in conjunction with local high school scrimmages. The CAOA Clinic will be worth two meeting points for your current Membership in Good Standing Status. This clinic will be the only clinic for which football meeting points will be awarded. Look for more information to be posted on the web site soon.

ADT Open

The 2nd Annual ADT Open was played on Monday, June 22, at Arbor Hills Golf Course in Jackson. The ADT is memorial outing funding scholarships in the names of Art Willard, Don Edwards, and Tony Payne. Over $6,500 was raised at the event! Special thanks to the following CAOA members who serve on the ADT Committee: Bruce Keeling, Mike Conlin, Eric Wills, and Nichole Tilma. Other CAOA members who participated in the outing include Marty Kolka, Mike Maisner, Mark Uyl, Dick Kalahar, Mark Larson and Jeff Spedoske. Mark your calendar now for Next year's ADT! It will be held on Monday, June 28, 2010.

CAOA Mentor Program Job Description

Did you have a veteran official that took you under his or her wing when you were just starting out or did you wander aimlessly through this maze of officiating without any guidance or support?  In either case, we have a way to give back and help a new official avoid those same pitfalls.

The CAOA is starting a Mentor Program for new or inexperienced officials.  Our hope is that by pairing up a less experienced official with a seasoned CAOA member, we can help new members avoid the pitfalls that often lead to discouragement, disillusionment, and ultimately disinterest in officiating.  If you are a CAOA member in good standing with a positive attitude regarding officiating and the CAOA, please consider being a CAOA Mentor.

Mentorship is not only for our most experienced or accomplished members.  In fact, an official with just a few years experience may be more adept at guiding a new official through today's myriad of issues.

A Mentor would be expected to be available to the mentee for guidance, be willing to occasionally work with the mentee on sub-varsity assignments, give both positive and constructive feedback on performance, etc.

Again, we are looking for mentor's with a POSITIVE attitude towards both officiating in general and the CAOA specifically.  If you qualify and are interested in becoming a CAOA Mentor, contact me, Jeff Spedoske, by email at CAOA1@aol.com.
 

CAOA Leading the Way for Officials for Kids

CAOA presented a check for $5000 at the 2006 Boys State Finals at the Breslin Center.

Officials for Kids originated in Lansing, Michigan in 2003 to support the local fundraising efforts of Coaches for Kids and Athletes for Kids whose goal is to construct a dedicated pediatric emergency room & waiting room at Sparrow Hospital. Now, Officials for Kids has built a positive image and is ready to go across Michigan to help kids in all our communities. This initiative is a great way to become actively involved in supporting the future of children's healthcare in Michigan.

The CAOA initially raised $1,000 toward their goal and the figure has grown exponentially since that time. The 2007 - 08 totals stand at $4,000, bringing the grand total raised to $13,277. "This is a great way for officials in the capital area to give back to the community," stated Jeff Spedoske, CAOA President. "We are very proud to be one of the leading officials associations in the state of Michigan to support this cause."
 

The Officials for Kids program originated in Lansing in 2003 with a goal of raising funds for the construction of a dedicated pediatric emergency room and waiting room at Sparrow Hospital. Now CAOA members can easily donate a game fee or more toward this purpose using our printable form. All donations are tax-deductible. Click here to view and print the form. You can also read more about this project on the Sparrow Foundation website.