top of page
THANK YOU TO TOM 'BIG WHISTLE' GREENE
FOR SPONSORING OUR PAGE
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR IAABO 59 MEMBERS!
What an honor bestowed upon two of our Board 59 members. Brian Finn and Rob VanCoughnett and their game day crew (Don Tremont, Tom Steiner, & Dan Salmon) were recently recognized by the Buffalo Bills as the High School Football Officiating Crew of the month. Rumor has it these guys might be the assigned crew for the next Bills home game? Tune in and see!
Congratulations to Brian and Rob (and crew) to a job well done!
ELKS HOOPS SHOOT COMING UP
Mike Branksi and Joe Vaadi are co-chairing the Elks Hoop Shoot this year. If you know any kids ages 8-13 years old, please contact Mike or Joe.
PRE-SEASON CLASSES ANNOUNCED
Mike Pavlot will be holding pre-season classes for any IAABO member who is interested in brushing up on the rules before you hit the court. It doesn't matter if you've been officiating for 1 year, or 10 years, I guarantee you will learn something from the class.
The classes will be on Sunday October 19, and Sunday November 2. Classes will begin at 9:30 AM and run about 2 hours. They will be held at the Glen Park Fire Hall. Please come if you can!
2025-26 Rule Changes
NFHS has released the rule changes for the upcoming basketball season.
It's a Family Affair!
For Mike Pavlot, this is the attention he would never seek. He's as humble and modest as they come. Fortunately, IAABO is shining the spotlight on what we already know....Mike is a Rockstar, and we are lucky he's our Interpreter! Below is the article from the most recent edition of Sportorials. Please take a minute to read this outstanding article.
Congratulations to Mike, as well as his Dad, Lee, on this outstanding recognition. For those who may not know, Lee Pavlot is the NY State Interpreter, and Board 59 sure appreciates him adopting us as one of his own. Congratulations Mike & Lee!
You can also log on to IAABO.org and read the article. Click here to get to the Members section.
WILEY TWINS MAKING NOISE ON THE SOFTBALL DIAMOND!
IAABO Board 59 member Matt Wiley's twin daughters, Melanie & Tatum, are making some noise on the softball field. Good job, ladies!
Watch Mel Busler's report on 7 News below...
Sister Act in Thousand Islands
RARICK GETTING READY TO TEAR UP THE TRACK!
Good luck to Board 59 member Jason Rarick, as he competes in the Sportsman Series at Can-Am Speedway this year. Jason is rocking the IAABO 59 decals on his slick looking racing machine. Good luck this season Jason!
For information on Can-Am and their schedule, click here for details.
HOW ABOUT SOME WELL DESERVED RECOGNITION!
After 53 years of officiating, what do you do for an encore? You keep going! Congratulations to Bob LeFevre for his 53 years of service to the game of basketball. Anyone who has worked with Bob knows they are working along side a rock solid partner, who cares about his craft. 7 NEWS did a nice job spotlighting Bob's career. Check out the video by clicking HERE.
WE'RE NOT ALONE
Officiating any sport is an incredibly thankless job, at times. Often times, it seems like it is the two teams competing vs. the officials. You make one side happy 50% of the time, each time you blow the whistle.
We are not alone in this endeavor. Our brother and sister officials all over this land feel the same, from time to time. The following article shares in our feelings. It's sad to see that this type of fan/coach/player behavior is flourishing right now. Guys like Jim Holleran are hanging up their stripes because you can only take so much. We need to do all that we can to work together with fans/coaches/players to educate them, otherwise, they'll be playing intramural sports, without officials.
https://hollerangetsitwrite.com/2025/02/17/after-36-games-ref-has-fill-of-unruly-fans-snow-icy-roads/
MODIFIED BASKETBALL RULES
LET THE SCIENCE BE YOUR GUIDE!
Is the defensive player faking being fouled, or is there enough contact to rule a player control foul? This can be a very difficult question to answer, especially when making a split second decision.
SMU researchers are trying to help us determine what is real, and what is fake. Check out their short video and see their conclusion.
What an absolutely outstanding piece by the NY Times, highlighting one of Board 59's own, Bob VanCoughnett. You think you know someone after 22 years on the Board, but you really don't! Take a minute to read the article. Very well written.
Thank you Bob, for all that you do for your community!
On December 2, 2024 IAABO Board 59 lost a member of our family. 52 year member Fran Clark passed away. Not only was Fran a member for 52 years, he held the office of Secretary-Treasurer for 37 years. Fran was an invaluable member of Board 59, and also led by example, as he was the consummate professional. Board 59 offers our deepest condolences to the family of Fran Clark, and shares in their sorrow, as Fran will be greatly missed. Rest In Peace, Fran.
IAABO offers a host of benefits to it's members. Take a moment and visit www.iaabo.org Here, you will find everything from the ability to register for RQ+, download & view all rules changes and POE for the upcoming year, download and view a variety of instructional cards, including the scorers card, the timers card, the NYS shot clock card, and much, much more.
FLOPPING CHART
There is an emphasis on flopping this season. Click here to see the chart provided by NFHS.
bottom of page