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2010 CAOA Banquet Registration Form
Now Online
It's time again to make plans for
the annual CAOA Banquet. This year's banquet will be held on
February 28th, 2010. You can download the registration form by
clicking here or by using the Banquet Registration link on the
left side of any page. The registration deadline is February
19th, so we're encouraging all members to register as soon as
possible. The banquet is a great opportunity to share
camaraderie with your fellow officials and their significant
others, as well as to celebrate the accomplishments of the CAOA.
In addition to a great meal and a free gift, there will also be
thousands of dollars worth of raffle prizes, scholarship
opportunities for summer camps and more. The banquet also counts
as one meeting credit toward MIGS status. Mark this date in your
calendar and make plans to attend now!
December 7th Meeting Recap
The following items were presented
at the December 7th basketball meeting. Please download for your
review.
CAOA Christmas Family
As is our tradition, the CAOA will
be collecting funds to help a local family in need this holiday
season. I am hopeful that each of you will find it in your heart
to donate whatever amount you can at this time. Every bit helps,
no donation is too small.
If you are unable to attend either
basketball meeting and would like to donate, please send a check
made out to CAOA to the following address:
Eric Wills, Treasurer
CAOA
382 Burr Oak Drive
Diamondale, MI 48821
Please put "Christmas Family
Donation" on the memo line of your check.
Thank you in advance for your
generous donation. The board is confident that our membership
will once again rise to the occasion and give a needy family a
Merry Christmas.
CAOA Basketball Pregame
The CAOA Basketball Directors have
updated the approved Pre-game. Please
download the document here and bring it to the December 7th
Basketball Meeting for review. This document should serve as
your pregame conference outline for all high school games worked
by CAOA crews. This pregame is quite extensive and is not meant
to be read "line by line" in your pregame conference. Rather, it
is an outline of many topics with varying degrees of importance.
Pregame conferences should be interactive with all three
officials participating. The CAOA Basketball Pregame document
will help to keep the conference focused and make sure that
important items are discussed.
Team CAOA Out in Full Force at the
W3 5K Run/Walk
 The CAOA was well represented at the
Sparrow Foundation Women Working Wonders 5K Run/Walk at Hawk
Island on Sunday, September 13. Over 50 CAOA members, family,
and friends participated in the event. Team CAOA raised $1,275
for the Sparrow Foundation, more than 20% of all funds raised at
the race.
 Every member of Team CAOA received a
"Whistle While You Run" t-shirt as well as a picnic lunch after
the 5K.
Jordan Parks led the way for the
team, posting a time of 19:54, good for third place overall.
Nathan Parks and Kevin Duits finished fourth and fifth overall,
respectively.
Click
here for a photo gallery from the event.
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. We also have a
dedicated "Nutrition" page where you can view and print
documents containing information on basic nutrition information,
weight management, importance of fluids and more. This page can
be viewed by clicking here or using
the nutrition link on the navigation bar in the "Reference"
section.
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 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
caoaofficials@gmail.com.
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| CAOA presented a check for $5000 at the 2006 Boys
State Finals at the Breslin Center. |
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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."
Officials For Kids "Give a Game" Form Now Available
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. |
