This year we are looking at some really great prizes, a Ping Golf Bag and more. It is going to be a shot gun start with best ball minimum 3 drives. Everyone who signs up before June 10th has a chance to win the Early Bird prize of 12 beers on ice.
Sounds refreshing, doesn't it?
We need at least 12 foursomes to make this years Tournament successful. I know Tuesday at noon is a bit off the beaten track but we get it cheaper then. So if any of you can take a day to enjoy some golf I encourage everyone to take this 1. It will be a blast and we promise no Flags.
Specials thanks to Andrew & Henry for putting together a great 2 day clinic.
It was very well organized and everyone was able to get something out of it.
We also held a Level I clinic for a couple of new recruits. Please help me in welcoming: Darren Hackwood & Chris Zamrykut to the TFOA. Welcome aboard fellows and all the best in your inaugural season with the us.
For those of you who have still not registered, please do so ASAP. Bob is already getting schedules for scrimmages and preseason. The assignments will be coming sooner than you think, so get registered and get working!
A Special Message from a TFOA Member
To my friends in the TFOA.
As some of you may have heard, I have been offered and have accepted a work related transfer to Alberta. This is the right move for me family wise, as we will be able to be in the same geographic area as both my family and my wife's family. That being said, it was a difficult decisions to make.
I think the hardest part about moving, will be leaving the TFOA. I can honestly say that some of the best times I have had in the past number of years has been on the field with all of you, in TFOA meetings, clinics and social functions. As an association the TFOA is a cut above when in comes to officiating, but we are also a cut above when in comes to the people who make up our association.
Thanks to each of you for all the great memories, and who knows, I may be back in a few years as I have already come and gone once before.
All the best, Francois Courtemanche
Best of luck, Francois. See you soon back again in stripes!
TFOA's Spring Clinic Promises to be the Best. Ever.
The Executive has been hard at work at preparing for the best Spring Clinic EVER, we are very excited about it!
As such, it is VERY IMPORTANT that you confirm your attendance to the clinic before Monday March 15th so we can plan some final details.
Please take a second to respond to Andrew Wakefield at andrewjwakefield@gmail.com to secure your spot, this is one clinic you don't want to miss! All other information is in the attached flyer, but if you have any other questions please don't hesitate to contact Andrew Wakefield (andrewjwakefield@gmail.com) or Henry Chiu (henrychiu@rogers.com).
Looking forward to a great clinic and a fantastic 2010 season!
Andrew Wakefield & Henry Chiu 2010
Spring Clinic Coordinators
Select your method of registration and payment. If you have any problems during the registration process, or have and questions, please contact Adam Paradowski at: conference@mfoa.mb.ca
TFOA Dinner & Dance Pics Up!
The TFOA Dinner & Dance was an enormous success, this past Friday.
We just got confirmation that TFOA’s very own Henry Chiu will make his second appearance in this year’s Vanier Cup. Henry has been assigned to work as Field Judge in Canadian Universities National Championship. Please join me in congratulating Henry on his assignment. Great job Henry! Have a great game.
If you have access to any thing which can be used as a door prize please let Dave or Henry know.
This has become a tradition for the TFOA and has always been a great time to get together one last time, at the end of the year and before the holidays.
Awards
During the dinner TFOA will present some awards – Rookie of the year & Most Improved official. If you would like to nominate someone for either of these, please send their name to Peter pgm@idirect.com
In the past we have also presented some “GAG” awards based on silly, unusual, “oops” things that have happened during the season. For example – “Inadvertent Whistle Award”, “Longest Game Award”, etc. This can be a lot of fun. If you have any stories or related type ideas please email them to Rob. Stripes33@rogers.com
AGM - Monday, December 7th, 2009
There are three positions available for the 2010 Executive. Actual roles in the executive are not open, simply the people you wish to be members. Roles will be divided after the election during the first executive meeting. The three current members are up for re-election are: Don E., Ted G. & Rob H.
If you are interested in running, you need to be nominated by a TFOA member and have a 2nd to support nomination. Please send me these names and confirm you wish to run. These nominations must be in to Rob by Nov 9th – 4 weeks prior to AGM. A simple email will suffice.
Two weeks prior to the AGM I will send a notice to everyone with the names of all members who are running as well as the agenda for the evening.
You must be present in order to vote.
The executive meets once a month throughout the Winter & Spring and as required during the summer.
If there is anything you wish to have added to the agenda for the evening, please send to Peter by Fri. Nov. 27th.
Fall Meetings
We are always looking for ways to improve our education sessions. Please take a moment to email Andrew [ andrewjwakefield@gmail.com or Byron byron.griffith@city.brampton.on.ca on what you thought this year. What was good? What needs improvement? What suggestions do you have? If you were not able to attend, please let us know why. The sessions this year were based on last year’s feedback. We are listening.
Reminder – There are NO further meetings until the AGM.
Congratulations, Murray!
The OUA have honoured Murray for his extraordinary career and continued contributions to football officiating.
Tyler Eric Courtemanche, born September 20th 2009 at 2125hrs (that’s 9:25 pm to us civilians). 6 lbs 15oz. Mom and baby are doing great!
Please join us in congratulating Francois and his wife Paula on the birth of their son.
The TFOA needs you!
If there is any chance of making yourself available to work a game next Wed afternoon (most either 2pm or 2:30 kick off), please do so. Bob has 28 assignments to fill for just this day. Bob will be calling you, starting tomorrow night, to see if you can make yourself available
Reminder: We will be having a meeting tomorrow (Mon. Oct. 5th at 7 pm) at Upper Canada College - 200 Lonsdale Road, Toronto. We will convene in the Alumni Lounge, inside the arena (beside the football field).
Pretty good turnout on Monday, but still less than ½ the registered membership. Please do your best to attend as there is some great discussion which always occurs and benefits all in attendance.
For next Monday’s meeting, please remember to have your pre-quiz completed and ready to discuss. The time to question a rule interpretation is at the meetings and not on the field when it occurs.
Also, please consider the following 4 kicking scenarios:
1) A punts into EZ
B returns kick
A returns kick into EZ
B runs ball out to 5 yard line
2) A punts from EZ
B returns kick into EZ
A runs ball out to 8 yard line
3) A fumbles ball
A kicks loose ball into B EZ
B runs ball out to 7 yard line
4) A 2D & 25
A quick kick
A kicker legally recovers ball, without B touching ball, 22 yards ahead of LS.
In each case, what & where is the next play. Support answer with rule, section, article and or case book play.
TFOA would like to welcome the following new officials for 2009. Some started in the spring, while others joined on Mon.
Andre Agate
Gary Ashton
Skyler Carroll
Jonathan Cassidy
Lori Costello
Mark Cumberbatch
Ardavan Eizadirad
Ben Grant
Michael Hastings
Ryan Hill
Tobin Horton
Travis Jennings
Dmitry Lesnykh
Marco Pietramala
Andrey Pokmooun
Philip Pomoransky
Brian Stather
Kerry Vanrish
Brendan Watson
Please take a moment to introduce your self and welcome them the association.
I hope you all have had a great summer on and off the field. However, the summer (whose weather just showed up) is drawing to a close. It is time to plan for our Fall Meetings. These meetings are held to talk football and help everyone stay on top of his/her game and make sure we are ready for the high school season.
****PLEASE NOTE*****
The venue has changed for our meetings this year. They will be held at Upper Canada College - 200 Lonsdale Road, Toronto. We will convene in the Alumni Lounge, inside the arena (beside the football field)
They will run from 7pm to approx. 9pm, based on discussion created from sessions.
It is very important that you make every effort to attend as it will, not only benefit your game but also, this is where Bob assigns the games.
I look forward to seeing many familiar and new faces to the meetings.
Rob Hand
Excellent article from the CBC web site, we should all strive in how Jake officiated and practice his tips
Referee Jake Ireland watches as Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Steven Jyles fumbles the ball against the Edmonton Eskimos during the CFL action in Edmonton on June 19, 2008. (John Ulan/Canadian Press) John Ireland learned quickly what to do when a wide-eyed, sweating, angry, 250-pound man in pain came running at him, screaming at the top of his voice. He reasoned with him.
The guy known for most of his 62 years as "Jake," basically threw a sign out saying "the doctor is in" more than 500 times as a referee in the Canadian Football League (including 12 in the Grey Cup) before retiring this season to become the new replay co-ordinator at the head office. Being a referee seems a role that is part traffic cop, part lion tamer and part psychologist, and while Ireland rejects the first analogy, the other two strike him as pretty accurate. "Your job is not like a traffic cop, telling you what to do and what not to do," he says, sitting in the CFL boardroom. "Your job is more being the stabilizing influence in all the mayhem." Oxford says mayhem is a noun, meaning violent disorder, or chaos. Its root is in the word maim, as in to maliciously try to hurt someone.
That sounds like what football would be, all right, if it weren't for the guys in stripes. "The players are going to get emotional — that's just part and parcel of the game," Ireland says. "My job is to allow them time to cool down, and [then] insert yourself when necessary to try and restore order."
Where's the love in Steeltown?
Jake Ireland is a Burlington/Oakville/Hamilton area boy through and through who worked 31 years in management at Stelco before retirement. You'd think his relationship with the fans in Hamilton would be terrific, but it's like a marriage — good moments and bad.
"They've gone from loving me to hating me to loving me," laughs the man who officiated 555 games in his career and now makes the replay decisions from the office in Toronto. "Two weeks ago, there were two reviews in a game in Hamilton, against B.C., and they both went in Hamilton's favour. [Head of officials] Tom Higgins phones me and he said, 'Jake … uh … I don't know how to tell you this, but your reputation in Hamilton is in jeopardy."
Meaning, he's suddenly loved again.
A week later, Ireland had to reverse a call against the Tiger-Cats that put the ball back on the one-yard line and took away a late touchdown (they'd score anyway on the next play). "So I'm on the phone with the observer in Hamilton, and we're talking and we haven't announced our ruling yet, and there's a section below the press box [at Ivor Wynne Stadium] that just gets on the CFL box something awful because the window is always open.
"And I hear over the phone a fan in that section going, 'F-k you, Jake!"
Ireland laughs.
"I'm not even there anymore. But they know."
Restoring sanity to 24 highly physical guys on an adrenalin rush sounds like a tall order to the uninitiated, but Ireland makes it sound merely like a case of mind over matter. If a guy's getting over excited, use a little calm common sense on him.
"[Ask] 'Is there something I can watch?' Divert his attention from the heat of the moment to the actual behaviour that is causing him to get excited," Ireland says.
"In other words, divert his attention a little from the guy across from him and try and engage him very quickly, very briefly, but establish a communication so he feels you aren't ignoring him."
Listening to the old referee, it's easy to see why he was such a respected figure throughout his career. This is one of the few striped shirts, after all, who had his own unofficial fan club (20 years ago in section 536 of the then-SkyDome — they'd yell "Jake, Jake, Jake" at his appearance and the ref would salute back).
It might surprise longtime fans to know Ireland describes himself as having a short temper. But, he adds, the occasions when he's used bad language are "very, very, very few."
Would he like to describe one?
"No."
Ireland still officiates lots of minor football, back in the Lakeshore association where he got his start (most improved official there in 1976, an award he treasures above most of them), and he helps instruct referees from Atom up to the CFL.
His advice to them is simple — that flag is for one thing only, and that's to indicate you saw a foul. You can't use it to get at people and you can't use it to show emotion.
One of Ireland's cardinal rules for officials is that "you never, ever say anything that can be interpreted as a threat.
"Stuff like, 'If you do that again, I'll have to call you.' It's the worst thing you can do," he says. "If it's a foul, throw your flag. If it's not, don't threaten them."
Don't intimidate them. Don't boss them around. And be consistent.
The highest compliment Ireland says he was ever paid was at the 1998 Grey Cup, where a coach from a team not playing that week started chatting with him in a hotel lobby.
"He said, 'You know, with you, we know exactly what we can get away with, we know exactly what we can do with the quarterback. With the other referees, we're never sure.'"
A last thought for young officials out there who may be working a peewee game, or a high school game, or the third contest of a triple header:
"This may be the most important game in one of these player's lives," Ireland says. "It may be the last game of football he ever plays. It might be this third stringer's only touchdown he scores in his career .… It may be the only championship they ever win in their lives ….
"You're a professional, so give it a professional job. This game is important to the younger guys, so it should be important to you."
Donna's Update on Jack
Just to let you know, Jack is now in Hillcrest Extendicare, which is about 15 minutes from our home. It is a very nice building surrounded with gardens, and backs onto a park. While he would prefer to be at home, he is enjoying it, as they have regular exercise classes, as well as outings and things to keep him relatively busy, (plus Happy Hour every Friday afternoon ) . Also, he can get 50 days of passes, so that helps us alot when we want to return to Toronto (which we will be doing August 5-12, for our Granddaughter 's wedding on August 8.) He has his own phone and phone line, and we purchased a new 26" TV for his use there, so he is enjoying that as well. I bring him home Friday nights and he returns to Hillcrest on Sunday nights.
Donna Leitch
CFOA Exam Submissions
The June 28th deadline to submit your exams to Byron or Andrew, has come and gone. As a reminder, the completion of the exam is a valuable tool to help with rules study and knowledge. It is also a requirement of the insurance policy which covers officials.
If you have any questions, please email Byron or Andrew. Get those tests into ASAP please!
TFOA Golf Tournament Coming Soon
With less than three weeks to go, we are looking to fill the last few spots at the annual TFOA Golf Tournament, at Glenway Country Club (Newmarket). It’s a great day of friendly competition and drunken lies. Our impressive list of prizes includes a BBQ set, a lawn chair, wine bottle opener, a 1.75L bottle of whiskey.
Here are the details:
Date: Tue, July 14
Time: first tee off begins at noon
Cost: $125 ~ includes golf, cart, dinner, and prizes for everyone / $35 dinner only
To book your spot, please contact Henry Chiu at 416.523.9998 / [ mailto:henrychiu@rogers.com ]henrychiu@rogers.com.
Hope to see you there!
Congratulations to our own Byron Griffith for winning the Early Bird Draw – 12 bottles of premium brew Steam Whistle.
CFOA Exam Now Available
The 2009 CFOA exam is now available. Please return to Byron byronrelax55@sympatico.ca or Andrew andrewjwakefield@gmail.com by Sunday June 28th, 2009. This should allow ample time to get through it, discuss with fellow officials and clarify any questions you have. This is an open book test and it is a requirement of the insurance policy that all active field officials have completed an exam in the current year.
- Please ensure you bring your completed registration form (attached) and dues ($125). Members must be fully registered for the 2009 season before any games can be assigned.
- Anyone who plans on working OVFL this season is expected to attend as we will be reviewing 6 man mechanics.
- Bob P. has obtained 100 pairs of white athletic socks, 80 prs. of long and 20 prs of short. Cost per pair will be $6.00. If you are interested, he will have them with him for sale on Sat. He will take cash or cheque. Whatever is convenient for you.
Reminder: Spring Clinic on Saturday, April 25.
Our Spring Clinic will be held on Saturday April 25th from 9-4 (registration 8:30) Lunch will be provided. This is an excellent chance to get the engine revved up for another full season. There is a great day planned and I sincerely hope you all will attend. For those who have not sent in their registration forms and dues yet, please use the clinic to take the opportunity to do so.
The address is:
Flower City Recreation Centre
8870 McLaughlin Rd
Brampton, ON
L6Y 5T1
Registration 8:30 am
Time – 9 am to approx 4 pm (lunch will be provided)
TFOA
welcomes six new officials for 2009!
UPDATE: See images of the day!
This past Saturday certified six people as Level I officials. Please join us in congratulating the following new members for 2009.
Ben Grant
Michael Hastings
Ryan Hill
Kerry Vandrish
Brendan Watson
Michelle Wilson
PS. Congratulations to Henry Chiu for completing his Level IV evaluator's course!
Congratulations to the Courtemanche Family!
We are pleased to announce that Francois & is wife Paula are expecting their first child this Sept. As we continue to build our membership, it is great to see our members taking it upon themselves to help out. =)
Congrats again, Francois!
TFOA
Golf Tournament '09
Hello
everyone, as the nice weather arrives its time to think about golf.
The
TFOA is back with our annual golf tournament at the lovely Glenway Golf
Club in Newmarket. Tee off time is noon on July 14, 2009. The price this year is $125 and includes golf,
cart, dinner, and prizes for everyone. It is always a great day and
if golfing is not your game....come for dinner, as Glenway puts on
a spectacular spread. Look forward to seeing everybody there! Contact David Strauss (strauss57@hotmail.com) or Henry Chiu (henrychiu@rogers.com) for more information.
Dave
Strauss
Social Chair
BMFA Poker Tournament
Attention all TFOA Members, After some careful consideration, a great deal of planning and having a great partner in the Brampton Minor Football Association, our Poker Tournament is a go. The poker tournament is marketed as the Brampton Football Association Poker Tournament and will take place at Max’s Diner in Mississauga, Ontario on Friday April 24, 2009. The tickets are $50.00/ea in advance and include a buffet style dinner. There will be dinner only tickets for those who are not poker players or would like to bring a spouse along for $20.00/ea. Tickets will be $75.00/ea at the door, so it is within your best interest to purchase your ticket(s) in advance. The TFOA is responsible for selling 60 tickets, so I am expecting a great turn out of our membership. The tournament is open to anyone. However, there are only 120 tickets available for the Poker tournament itself.
If you are not a poker player, I need 5 volunteers from the TFOA to help out in various capacities on the 24th itself.
This is great event and will bring the TFOA a sizeable return that can be used for such things as recruitment, education and sponsorships. Brampton Minor Football is looking at running two more of these events this year and the TFOA can remain a partner as long as the TFOA as a group supports this event.
Please contact me @ 416-807-2878 or jbaker@mapcanadaltd.com for the purchasing of tickets. I will arrange to meet you to distribute the tickets. It is unfortunate that we have our spring clinic the following day, as there no major gathering for the TFOA between now and the Poker Tournament. However, I will be in attendance at the Level I clinic on March 28, 2009 and the Level II clinic on April 4, 2009.
I would like to thank all of you in advance for your support.
Justin Baker
Jack Leitch garners lifetime membership from NFC.
After years of dedication to the league, Jack Leitch has been bestowed a lifetime membership to the NFC. Jack becomes only the fifth individual so honored joining the late Jerry Toppazzini, Peter Handley, Major Leo Troy and Britt Jessup.
Congratulations, Jack!
Woody's Injury. Update #2
Our Woody will actually not require any sort of surgery. The MRI showed a
high-grade MCL strain and will require 3 months of therapy, 3 times a week. Because of Woody's good health and a healthy regimen of proper stretching and warm-up, the MCL was not torn. The doctor predicts a recovery time of approximately 6 months, and with hard work in therapy it could be cut into half.
Great news, Woody!
Woody's Injury. Update.
Our Woody is still in a good deal of pain but toughing it out like a trooper and walking with a cane. Doctors suspect it may be a torn or strained ACL. He's been advised to keep off it for a while.
Rest well, sir!
TFOA Official suffers injury in 2008 International Bowl.
TFOA vet, Paul (Woody) Woodworth suffers a lower body injury in an out-of-bounds play in the International Bowl. See below for the replay.
