ATTENTION RVOA Members, Listed below are the on-field training scrimmage dates for next week. Again, if your a 1st or 2nd year official it is "MANDATORY" that you attend. Date: Wednesday, August 11th Time: 5:30 pm Location:Rockton Family Sports Complex Date: Thursday, August 12th Time: 5:30 pm Location:Rockton Family Sports Complex Attention veteran officials: I will need some of you veterans to attend in order to help & train these newer officials, so please call me to confirm which of you will be attending. Call if you have any questions.

RVOA Meeting/Training Dates: July 19, 26 August 2,9,16,23,30 September 13, 27 October 12 Location: Harlem High School, Rm. W122 Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Contact Pete Ducato for any questions or directions to the school.

Rock Valley Officials Association has agreed to become the exclusive assignor of umpires to the Roy Gale youth baseball and softball leagues. The Roy Gale organization has served the Rockford area for over 40 years and continues to be a model for youth sports. RVOA is proud to partner with Roy Gale to provide positive game experiences for young ballplayers. If you’re an umpire wanting assignments for Roy Gale games, contact Pete Ducato at peteducato@comcast.net. The first baseball meeting will be Tuesday, April 6th, 7 pm. Rm W211 at Harlem HS.

Rock Valley Officials Association, a mere five years old, is now the largest officials’ association in northwest Illinois with over 300 members! RVOA is now recognized by the IHSA as an association representing football, lacrosse, baseball, and softball officials. Pete Ducato and RVOA currently assign for the NIFC junior tackle football, high school lacrosse leagues across northern Illinois and Chicago Public Schools, Raptors Indoor Youth Football League, Rockford Christian H.S. football, and the Roy Gale youth baseball and softball league.

TBA

The Rock Valley Officials Association, established in 2006 for football and lacrosse officials in the Rock River area, has expanded once again to include baseball. Joshua Perry, certified umpire and IHSA state clinician in training, is leading the charge in this new front in our efforts to improve officiating in and around Rockford. Meetings will be on Mondays, February 9th and 23rd, and March 9th, and held at Harlem HS in Machesney Park at 7 p.m. in room W-145.

Rock Valley Officials Association typically meets the beginning of July through the end of September, all meetings will be held on Mondays. We currently meet at the follwoing location, please contact Pete Ducato-President at peteducato@comcast.net or 708-508-7383 for further information. Location: Harlem High School Room W-122 1 Huskie Circle Machesney Park, IL 61115 Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Meeting dates for the 2010 season will be posted in June 2010.

The Rock River Raptors of the Continental Indoor Football League created a youth indoor football league in January, 2007, asked R.V.O.A. President and local assignor Pete Ducato to locate officials. League games are played at the Victory Sports Arena in Loves Park using four officials and a lot of rule modifications. Currently, 15 teams make up the league comprised of 12, 14, and 16 year-olds. The Raptors and fellow CIFL teams the Chicago Slaughter and Milwaukee Bonecrushers donated uniforms. Games start in early February and will culminate in a championship game to be played in laste March.

The RVOA will again assign football officials for the N.I.F.C. junior tackle league for the 2010 season. The N.I.F.C. was created in 2006 from teams leaving the local Rock Valley Junior Tackle. The N.I.F.C. and R.V.O.A. worked hard to encourage good sportsmanship and fair play for all in attendance. Teams from Roscoe, South Beloit, Rockton, Genoa, Belvidere, and Rockford will compete in three divisions: flyweight, lightweight, and heavyweight (grades 3 to 7.) More teams are expected to join in 2010 meaning more opportunities for area officials.

The N.I.F.C.

Several members have expressed concerns about accepting games from the RVOA for the NIFC season, specifically rumors of repercussions from other assignors. This topic was covered by Dave Gannaway at the 2006 IHSA convention in Peoria. Here is a summary of Mr. Gannaway's comments: First, no assignor can dictate what games an official may or may not accept. The decision must be free of coercion (implicit or explicit) and made only by the official. Second, an assignor cannot force attendance at assignor preferred meetings, clinics, or camps as a lure for future considerations.