New ECAC Metro New York Area Assignor

Lou MinutoliECAC notified us that Lou Minutoli will be coordinating all ECAC men’s and women’s soccer assignments in the New York Metro area, effective immediately. We believe ECAC will make an official announcement in the next few weeks regarding Lou’s appointment but in the meantime, Lou asks that anyone who desires ECAC assignments to call him at home to discuss your availability.

As soon as we know the technical details regarding how the assignments will be published, we will post that information on the news page of the web site.

Region XV Availability for 2009

We received this email from Jack Sweeney regarding the Region XV (junior college) soccer program for 2009:

Starting to update schedule for fall 2009 juco’s. Please extend an invitation to any new members or anyone not presently on the nyjc roster to log on to update availability for the upcoming fall 2009 season.

Dr. Allen Feld

Allen FeldIt is with great sadness and regret that we learned of the passing of Allen “Doc” Feld on April 21, 2009 in Laguna Hils, California. Doc Feld was the long time secretary-treasurer of our chapter, chapter assignor and member of the NISOA Hall of Fame (inducted in 1993). We do not have any additional details regarding planned memorials but our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to Doc’s family and friends, specifically Ms. Mary Randolph of Orange, California.

2009 NISOA Training Camp

We received this message from NISOA President, Joe Miller.

NISOA will conduct its Annual Referee Training Camp in Elizabethtown, PA on July 12-16, 2009.

For more information go to www.nisoa.com and click on the Training Camp icon or click on the Forms icon and open the Training Camp Application Form.

This year NISOA, through a grant from the NCAA, is providing full scholarships of $500 to females and minorities.

NISOA also offers $300 scholarships to all others who apply before May 1, 2009.

Updated June 16, 2009 – The camp is full. NISOA is no longer accepting applications.

A Letter from Nick Kvasic

Longtime NY Metro ISOA member and Staten Island resident, Nick Kvasic recently transferred to the New Jersey Metro chapter. The recently established New Jersey Metro chapter is an extremely well run and respected chapter which is also very convenient to NISOA members who live in Staten Island. Here is a transcription of the letter Nick recently wrote to our chapter’s executive board. Read the rest of this article »

2009 Chapter Meeting Schedule

The 2009 NY Metro ISOA meeting schedule is now available. Get the dates, times and locations for the NISOA fitness test, the annual mandatory rules clinic, awards dinner and business meetings. Read the rest of this article »

ECAC Fees for 2009

Last month, the ECAC contacted several NISOA organizations, including our chapter, requesting endorsement of an officials’ fee freeze for 2009. Fees were scheduled to increase by $5 in 2009 according to our Memorandum of Understanding with ECAC. This initiative from ECAC was in response to requests from the conference commissioners served by ECAC based on the declining economy and budget cuts in all athletic and academic areas. The proposed fee freeze has apparently been extended to all sports assigned by ECAC.

Our Executive Board considered this request and told ECAC that it was unacceptable as presented. According to ECAC’s response to us, “your NISOA/EISOA colleagues in the other regions of our membership are enthusiastically supporting this freeze initiative. From the early feedback we have received, it appears the other officiating organizations within our ECAC officiating bureau will also endorse the fee freeze.” We have had subsequent discussions with ECAC and continue to maintain our position not to endorse the proposed fee freeze.

We expect imminent notification from ECAC to all soccer officials that fees for the 2009 season will remain at the stipulated 2008 fees. More details on this issue are available to registered members on the chapter message board.