From: Martin Johnson [mailto:
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2015 5:27 PM
To: Martin Johnson
Subject: Colorado Officials Newsletter 2015-1d
Hi Folks,
Welcome to another year of track and field in Colorado. This is the first newsletter of the year, and it is packed full of information. I have also included a copy of the latest indoor schedule for Colorado. Note the change to both date and locationfor the Colorado Association Indoor Championships.
Upcoming Events - Local
We are in need of more officials to work the Martin Luther King Jr. Mile Hi Classic. The meet is scheduled for Sunday, January 18, 2015 at the USAFA Cadet Field House. A meet flyer can be downloaded here. Please contact Don Sinclair if you are available to work this meet. This will be one of the largest Youth meets the Colorado Association hosts this year, so consider coming out and helping put on a good meet for the athletes.
For a local conference championship opportunity, the Western Athletic Conference is in need of officials for its indoor championship at the Air Force Academy, Feb 26-28. Contact Matt Pucak or an application.
In addition,the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is in need of officials for its indoor championships at Western State, Feb 27-28. Contact Chris Bradford at for an application.
A complete listing of local Youth and Masters events can be found by selecting the links.
USATF Membership Renewal - REQUIRED for all Officials
For those of you whose USATF membership ends in 2014, now is the time to renew. Please remember USATF membership is a required part of being a Certified Official and those who have not renewed their membership by March 31 will be placed in a 'suspended' status and not be counted as certified until the membership is renewed. Now’s a great time to renew so you don't have any issues come spring time.
Renew online at A multi-year membership gives you a discount and you won't have to worry about renewing each year.
2015 USATF Rules Changes
This year, 102 changes were submitted for consideration for changes to USATF rules. 58 changes were approved; 16 were rejected; 14 were tabled; and 14 were withdrawn. The new 2015 USATF rule book may be viewed at:
Officials’ Certification Levels
A number of our Colorado officials, particularly those now at the Apprentice level, may be eligible for upgrade in their level of certification. If you believe this may apply for yourself, check the criteria in attached sheet for upgrade to that next level, and mail necessary documents to the Certification Chair, Rich Schornstein, .
Championship Officiating Opportunities
If you’d like to work a national championship meet to gain experience at that level, and to build your officiating resume, see the information below on championship meets around the country. For details and applications, go to:
-NCAA D-II Indoor national championship, Birmingham, AL, Mar 12-14
-NCAA D-III Indoor national championship, Winston-Salem, NC, Mar 13-14
-USATF Masters Indoor national championship, Winston-Salem, NC, Mar 20-22
-USATF Youth Outdoor national championship, Lisle, IL, Jun 30-Jul 5
-USATF Masters Outdoor national championship, Jacksonville, FL, Jul 23-26
-USATF Junior Olympics national championships, Jacksonville, FL, Jul 27-Aug 2
Colorado Officials Selected for USATF National Championships
Congrats toSpook Halik;Marty Johnson; Susan Petrelli; Dan Pierce; and Rich Schornstein on their selection to work as an official at the USATF Senior Indoor or Outdoor championships in 2015. 364 National and Master level officials were considered and 209 were selected.
View Your Official’s Profile
Individual officials can now create an account and login to view their own profile within the national official’s database. In the coming months they'll start adding new features to make the site interactive and let you do things such as keeping your officiating resume, update your own contact information, apply for meets more easily, have access to new resources that aren't publicly available, etc., etc.
To create an account you need to be a current USATF Certified Official with a current USATF Membership that our system has been able to verify with the national membership database. To create the account, visit You’ll need to enter your certification number, membership number and your last name.After registering, you’ll receive an email with your username and password.
Officials’ Uniform Shirt
The USATF national office has had conversations with Nike about creating a new design for the official’s uniform shirt. Details of the design, ordering, distribution, inventorying, etc. are currently being worked out. Additional details on this project will be forthcoming in the next several months. The current red/blue polo remains the official uniform top.
In Conclusion
As you can see, there are many officiating opportunities both locally and around the country. The best way to build your officiating resume and improve your chances for getting selected to a national championship is to work meets using USATF rules. Our local Youth and Masters meets are great places to hone your skills and gain valuable experience. Have a great indoor season, and I hope to see you at a meet somewhere soon!
Martin Johnson
Officials Chair
USA Track & Field, Colorado Association
(719)209-1892 (cell)