NASO in the News

NASO continues to be the leading voice for sports officials across the country. As a byproduct of that, various media outlets will contact NASO for comments on matters that affect sports officials. Here are recent examples of NASO coverage:

Longtime NASO member Victor Catalano, of Clearfield, Pa., died on Dec. 14, 2022. Catalano’s obituary not only marked his 39 years as a member of the U.S. Army Reserves, which included four assignments throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio, and referenced his 36 years as a basketball official for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, his obituary made reference to holding a membership with NASO. To read Catalano’s obituary, search “Victor Catalano, Clearfield.”

NASO survey data is often mentioned in the news in referencing to the officiating shortage. While typically it’s NASO’s 2017 National Officiating Survey that gains mention, in an article in the Muskogee Phoenix (Oklahoma), Mike Kays pens NASO’s estimate of registration of officials being down 30 percent at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, playing a role in the shortage of officials. The article surrounds the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association’s efforts to crackdown on behavior outside of the field of play. To find this article, search “NASO, OSSAA, 30 percent.”

As Battlefields to Ballfields continues it quest in recruiting former military veterans to become sports officials, NASO’s pinnacle “Say Yes to Officiating” campaign was mentioned alongside Battlefields to Ballfields’ increased membership numbers. They climbed from around 200 in 2019 to more than 700 in 2022. In addition, NASO’s 2017 National Officiating survey’s popular datapoint — citing a 57 percent of the 17,000-plus respondents indicating a decline in sportsmanship — was also referenced. To find this article, search “NASO, Battlefields to Ballfields, ESPN.”

Upon Art McNally’s death bringing a somber note to the new year on Jan. 1, widespread condolences spread across the United States and beyond. McNally, considered the “Father of Instant Replay,” had a career in the NFL that spanned five decades, which included installing the first formal training program for NFL game officials. Upon McNally’s death at the age of 97, many media outlets, including the Courier Times, made reference to McNally receiving NASO’s very first Gold Whistle Award in 1988. To find this article, search “NASO, McNally, Courier Times.”

Nearly 20 percent of soccer officials who responded to NASO’s 2017 National Officiating Survey indicated they have been assaulted at least once while officiating and around 73 percent indicated they have had a spectator removed at least once. These somber statistics were published in The Daily Evergreen ¸ Washington State University’s student newspaper. Several sports officials also recalled their own experience with referee abuse and called on spectators, coaches and players to step up and improve the culture in the sport of soccer. To find this article, search “NASO, The Daily Evergreen, Soccer Officials.” 