Ben Goodwin shown in action at the 2019 Championship Tournament
Showcasing SAVRA on the Big Stage
Ben Goodwin was selected to work all six rounds of the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament, including the title match in Pittsburgh between Stanford and Wisconsin. This was Ben's second Final Four as a line judge, his first on the championship match. Referee Margie Ray worked the first four rounds of the tournament, and was selected for the Final Four, but declined the invitation to address family health issues. A true pro!
Training is SAVRA's Primary Objective; Your Feedback Sought
Last month SAVRA sent each of our 2019 members a link to the survey, asking for your input on our training, at whichever level you are at. Survey return was sparse. Please take 5 minutes to go to our survey link at https://forms.gle/W9tEAYnJ4EV4jLZ77 and share your thoughts and ideas so that we can make our three training programs better for you. The survey will remain open until Jan. 29. Thank you very much.
Nine SAVRANS Honored with Post-Season Awards
SAVRA’s annual award winners are officials of the year Jason Gonwick, Ben Goodwin and Alan Hirayama; contributor Shawna Sheehan; most improvedMindy Muglia, partner Debbie Spray; first-year official Kenny Davis; second-year official Tyler Martindale; third-year official Melissa Woods; line judge Martindale.
SAVRA Members Well-represented in State, Regional and National Tournaments
Washington state high school tournament assignments were earned by Devin Darrough and Ben Goodwin, 3A-4A; Dale Goodwin, 1A; and Veronica Douglas and Shawn Ottosen, 1B/2B. Barb Twohig and Juli Jones worked the NWAC championships; Linda Kildew the Frontier Conference and NAIA championships.
Roger Jamison Eighth Member Inducted into SAVRA Hall of Fame
Retired volleyball referee Roger Jamison became the eighth inductee into the Spokane Area Volleyball Referees Association Hall of Fame at its recent awards banquet. From 1989-2008, Jamison excelled at the high school, college and club levels. He officiated many state high school and regional college championship tournaments, as well as numerous national USA volleyball championships. He served several positions on SAVRA’s board of directors, including president, and was a valued mentor to up-and-coming officials. He joins Pete Bell (2016), Jack Wilcox, Virginia Danke and Ken Esperes (2017),Barb Silvey and Dale Goodwin (2018), and Rusty Welman (2019) in the HOF.
New Board Members, Advisers Take Reins; Working for You Behind the Scenes
Board members and advisers for 2020 are Ben Goodwin, president; Brent Radford, vice president; Jason Gonwick, secretary; Keith Ward, past president; members at large Alex Collins, Juli Jones and Shawna Sheehan;Phil Robinson, treasurer; assigners Bob Francis and Alan Hirayama; trainerBarb Twohig; rating committee/advanced trainers Dale Goodwin, Alan Hirayama and Debbie Spray; and appeals committee Lisa Paull, Mike Pounds and Margie Ray.
"We don't anticipate any big changes in the coming year. We just want us all to keep striving to get better at what we do," said incoming President Ben Goodwin. "We'll continue to improve upon our quality training programs -- basic, high school and college -- both in the classroom and on the court. We hope to instill in our members the mindset of service to those in our sport. I anticipate shorter general membership meetings to focus our primary attention on training."
Recruiting New SAVRA Members Is a Calling for All of Us
With the number of officials declining across the country, and the average age of our officiating cadre increasing, it is paramount that all SAVRA members be on the lookout for potential new volleyball officials and line judges. If you find a person with interest and some volleyball knowledge, please pass their name to either trainer Barb Twohig or assistant assigner Alan Hirayama. Last season SAVRA had 71 certified officials. Assigners tell us we need at least a dozen more this year. In 2019, SAVRA had 2,068 assignments, and could not fill 10 of those. Not too bad, but we need to fill every one of those. This is no small task. So please, take an active role in recruiting potential new officials.
Board Meetings Open to Members
A schedule of Board meetings has been set, as follows: Jan. 27, Feb. 24, April 6, May 4, June 1, July 27. Any SAVRA member is welcome to attend. We ask that you notify a Board member or adviser prior to the meeting to ensure you receive entry to an otherwise locked building complex. These meetings are scheduled in Gonzaga University's BARC, aka the parking garage, Marketing and Communications wing on the east side of the building, bordered by Hamilton and Boone. Meetings will start at 5:30 p.m.
Do you have newsletter ideas? Please send them to Newsletter Editor Dale Goodwin, goodwin@gonzaga.edu.
