ACAA COMMISSIONERS REPORT  2008/09

The ACAA 2008/09 season came to a sad ending with the sudden passing of MSVU coach,. Derrick McDermott. Thanks to those officials who were able to attend the funeral and to Paul Hanson for setting up a fund for the McDermott family. He will be missed around the league. In speaking to June Lumsden and Derrick’s wife, Jeanette, they were very appreciative of our support.

On a positive note, congratulations goes out to Chris Ross who was selected for the championship game at the CCAA Women’s Nationals in Quebec and by all reports did an excellent job.  Chris, along with Dave McGrattan, Wendell Skeir, and Brent Stocker officiated the ACAA playoffs at Mt. Allison  where Chris did the women’s final and Dave the men’s championship game. During the season I visited all three sites on a number of occasions  and did pre and post game observations on each official. I saw each official at least twice with the exception of two. Both were due to a lack of games officiated which needs to be rectified by a better assignment co-ordination with ACAA-AUS games. I feel that a pre season meeting with the two commissioners to set up the block of assignments is needed in order to generate more ACAA games for travelling officials and also to keep travel expenses down. We lost 2 officials from the panel due to injury and operation and filled one of those spots. We had 26 officials work games either exhibition and /or league games. Supervisor, Reg Caulfield, and I had 3 meetings with league convenors, Judy Smith and Neil Hooper, and felt we allowed them admiral input into selections both for panel and playoffs. This relationship continues in a positive way.

Adjustments may be made for the coming season as 2 or 3 new officials look to come onto the panel. 

On a final note, I want to thank the crew chiefs for their game reports,( even though some were at times a bit tardy,) as these helped to provide good feedback. I did written evaluations on 6 officials after the Christmas break for suggestions to work on  and written officials at the end of the season on those that I felt need some things to work on for next year. All officials received post game reports when I attended the games.And thanks again to Reg and Roger Caulfield and Paul Hanson for their much appreciated support.

Keith Finck

ACAA Commissioner