Purpose
The San Diego County Football Officials Association (SDCFOA) provides certified football officials for CIF High School, Pop Warner, AYF and flag football throughout San Diego County.
The purpose of the Association shall be to:
- Provide quality football officiating service.
- Maintain and strive to improve the service through an education and training program.
- Promote fair play and sportsmanship among people involved in football contests.
- Encourage good fellowship among members of the Association and others interested in football.
Mission
The mission of the San Diego County Football Officials Association is as follows:
- To maintain the highest standards of football officiating,
- To provide the means for a correct and consistent interpretation of the football rules,
- To develop the most effective and efficient mechanics and football philosophies,
- To develop new football officials at the Youth and High School level, then educate and mentor them with the highest standards of ethics,
- To promote close professional relationships among our members,
- To secure cooperation and understanding throughout the entire interscholastic community to include: (inter-scholastic and youth football athletic officers, sportswriters, coaches, players, and officials),
- To further the interests of football by fostering the spirit of sportsmanship and fair play.
- To cultivate and maintain relationships within the global community by sponsoring and contributing to youth football fund, scholarship fund and other community involvement.
Presidents Message
Welcome to the 2021 Season!
To my fellow officials and the football fans of San Diego, welcome to the 2022 season, “a season to move on.’’ I say that because we are now two years into a global pandemic that continues to affect the game at all levels. While I do expect to see additional COVID-related challenges in 2022, it is time to “move on.” We must live our lives remembering the things we loved to do in the past and look forward to doing them again in the future.
Our Association has an even bigger challenge heading into the 2022 season. Recruiting and retention. Unfortunately, our membership has shrunk in recent years for a variety of reasons. We must all endeavor to bring new members into our ranks. Our Recruiting Chair, Gary Gittelson, has been working tirelessly in this effort. But, as Gary would tell you, our best recruiting resource is you! People who love the game and the officials who make up our current and former members. Please reach out to those around you. We need officials!
The San Diego County Football Officials Association celebrates the game we love and the tremendous success of our officials. Our instructional program is recognized as the best in the nation. We have trained, mentored, and promoted dozens of officials who have gone on to higher levels of officiating. It’s now common to see them officiating televised college and professional games every fall weekend. I would like to acknowledge some of the people who have made that possible; Don Carey, Ed Blick, Jimmy Christensen, Earl Totty, Tom Ables and of course, our Instructional Chairman, Steve Coover. They are doing a great service to the game, the local football community, and our Association. Now, it’s up to us to bring them fresh faces to develop the next generation of excellence in officiating.
The Association’s Board of Directors and appointed officers have managed our affairs and the issues that has come before it in a fair, democratic and sometimes contentious way. That’s a good thing! I encourage independent thought and healthy debate. As a member, you should know that your voice is being heard and your concerns are being addressed. I would like to thank Zack Marble for his years of service to the Board and welcome our newest Board members, David Middleton and Rob Schaerer.
Our past two Presidents, Dave Garza and Kevin Haws, have done a fantastic job of guiding us through the pandemic and building a foundation for us to succeed in 2022. On behalf of the entire Association, I would like to extend our gratitude and appreciation for the service they have done and will continue to do as returning Board members. I would also like to acknowledge the great work Mr. Garza has done with the Association website. It’s a more functional resource allowing the user to get up-to-date information about our Association. You can research study guides and training manuals, view the expanded photo gallery, and learn more about the Association’s role in the San Diego football community. The website will also serve as a great recruiting tool for our future. Thank you, Dave!
Finally, to our member officials past, present, and incoming for this new season; it has been an honor to serve on the Board for the past six years and I look forward to serving as your President in 2022. Together, we will meet our recruiting goals, continue to provide quality football officiating, promote fair play and good sportsmanship, and work hard to get better at what we do. Together, we will “move on.” We will address all challenges this new season may bring with one core principle in mind, “for the good of the Association.”
Thank you and have a great 2022 season!
Terry Bernard
President, San Diego County Football Officials Association
SDCFOA Supports Worthy Causes
The SDCFOA is a source to cultivate and maintain relationships within the global community by sponsoring and contributing to youth football fund, scholarship fund and other community involvement.
The Fund has provided financial assistance to players, coaches and officials that did not have sufficient health insurance coverage to protect them in their time of need. In most cases, the injury was so serious that the primary health insurance did not provide coverage for items such as crutches, wheelchairs, physical therapy rehabilitation, and transportation.
Annually, the FUND will award the “George A. Schutte Memorial Scholarship” and other “Kickoff” scholarships to deserving high school senior football players that have been nominated by his/her coach having demonstrated that the individual has attained a high degree of academic, athletic, community and leadership abilities.
Since 1998, the Fund and the San Diego County Football Officials have provided thousands of dollars in financial assistance to numerous players, coaches, and officials. The Fund awards grants based upon financial need as our funding permits. Every football season, the financial needs of the youth football community out-pace our available funding.
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SDCFOA supports the Battlefields to Ballfields mission. We had 12 officials sign up to work football last year through this remarkable organization.
The Foundation will provide scholarships to veterans who return from defending our country with an opportunity to get integrated back into their community through officiating.
Those who have been involved in officiating already have felt the joy of stepping out onto the field. With it comes a great sense of value that leaves one with a feeling of accomplishment.
In serving in the military, and in officiating, there’s the common bond of being a member of a team and creating order out of chaos. Battlefields to Ballfields will provide these veterans with an opportunity to hone their newfound officiating skills and participate in something that will give them a new sense of self-worth along with the ability to make some extra income.