ABA director of officials stays busy with ABA growth

September 25, 2008 - American Basketball Association (ABA) News Release


Rochester, NY. With the ABA major expansion that has been in full force this past year, there have been an enormous amount of new teams getting set for the 2008-2009 season. With this expansion, there has been another part of the league expanding as well...that is the ABA Officiating Staff.

From training officials internationally in Singapore this past season to now preparing for the upcoming season, ABA Director of Officials Tom Chichester, who has been with the ABA since its inception in 2000, has seen many changes during the last eight years. Since day one, Chichester has been challenged with the task of recruiting, hiring, training, supervising and scheduling officials from all over the US as well as Canada and Mexico. This year will be no different with the exception of an additional team in Alaska.

Throughout this period, he has stayed up with the growth and has successfully managed to insure that there have been officials assigned to every game, every season. With as many as 40 teams and approximately 350 referees on staff, Tom's job has been compared to having one person operating 5 or 6 conferences all at the same time. And he does it without a front office and the assistance of 3 or 4 clerical staff in each office.

"Tom has primarily been a one man show in the building and supervising of this very well oiled professional officials' group," said Joe Newman, ABA CEO. "His hard work and dedication towards the growth and success of the ABA has been constant and professional. What Tom has accomplished has never been done in the officiating world. Quite incredible indeed. It must be quite a personal accomplishment for him. Personally, having known him for 8 years, he would make a tremendous choice for as a Supervisor for an NCAA conference or as part of the NBA officials organization. Not sure why they haven't drafted him. The ABA Officiating Program has certainly been a major cornerstone over the years in assisting in the development and professionalism of our ABA game product and the league."

When talking to Tom, it is evident that he is very proud of his ABA staff of officials. He considers all of them as very dedicated and pioneers in basketball officiating. "These dedicated ABA officials are working these ABA games that are unlike any other basketball games being played anywhere in the world," stated Chichester. "And the ABA games have stacked up to be some of the most challenging, finest, exciting and intense basketball games that officials have every worked. They have taken this challenge in a dedicated and professional manner and have successfully managed and created a well defined and exciting brand of ABA basketball, inclusive of delivering our exciting ABA 3D Marquee Rule."

Under Chichester's leadership, the ABA officiating program has offered some excellent opportunities to many officials to enhance their skills as officials and they have been able to take those skills and advance in the current ranks in NCAA officials. "That has been a personal rewarded for me and has always been one of my goals while in this position," added Chichester. "To be able to help officials develop their skills and advance within their current NCAA ranks. Working as an ABA Official has allow that to happen for many.

The ABA officiating staff has been a solid, well organized group of officials. Summer Development Camps have been held during the off season as well as National Rules Interpretation Meetings on the East and West Coast prior to the start of the regular season. Chichester went on to explain, "ABA officials have all been dedicated to the cause and the growth of the league. They have been a family of officials...all working hard together to be on the same page. We have gone from a league of 8 teams and a staff of 40 staff officials to over 40 teams and 350 officials. There has never been this type of growth in any venue of sport of which I am aware.

To assist Chichester in some of the needed communications throughout the season, two years ago he decided to create Regional Coordinators from among his ABA veteran crew. They are:

*West Coast - Mike Greenstein, San Diego CA, Rico Cabrera Los Angeles CA

*Pacific North - Monte Page, Portland OR

*Midwest - Darrell Bailey, Louisville KY

*South Central - Rickie Branch, Mississippi

*Midwest - Brad Groninger and Jackie Sanders

*Southeast - Jerry Duran

*Northeast - Mike Homsey, Montreal Canada, Keny Jayne, Binghamton NY, John Sculli NY

*Rules Interpreter and National Rules - Ray McClure, Atlanta Georgia

Each of the abovementioned officials have assisted throughout the last two season and have maintained their current officiating schedules. With the 2008-2009 season quickly approaching, Chichester and his ABA coordinators and staff of officials are gearing up. Tom mentioned, "I have been in constant communications with staff in the off season and we are all looking forward to the exciting upcoming season. I have been very impressed with the new ABA President Quentin Townsend from the Atlanta Vision. Quentin and I have been in close communications during the off season and I feel that he adds a great dimension in the overall development of the league. I like the fact that he also realizes the importance of teams working hard together and doing all of the little things right so that by the start of the season, they are ready to go full speed ahead. We all look forward to work together to make this season a huge success and the best year in the ABA yet."

Note: OurSports Central no longer actively covers the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a professional league due in part to its inability to publish and play a schedule and the transitory nature of many of its teams. For information on professional minor leagues, please see OSC's basketball section.



American Basketball Association Stories from September 25, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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