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Referee of the Year
BBY SPORTS ACADEMY
(TRAINING TOMORROW’S SPORT OFFICIALS TODAY)
BBY Founder and President Obaseki "Che" Che'menju, was selected as the Illinois Recipient of the2007 Boys Basketball Referee of the Year Award, by the National Federation of Officials Association, the National Federation of High Schools and the Illinois High School Association. This award was presented at the Illinois High School Association's 9th Annual Convention. Below are Che's humble remarks and thank you to all who made this award possible.
Illinois Boys Basketball Referee of the Year – 2007
I have been selected as the Illinois Official of the Year in Boys Basketball by the National Federation of Officials Association (NFOA). I received this award on Saturday, July 19, 2008 at the IHSA 2008 Officials Convention. I am deeply moved by this recognition and it is indeed a great honor, but I would be remiss if I did not give acknowledgement to all who made this possible.
First, I give thanks to God Almighty who has continually blessed me not just in basketball but throughout life. Whenever one door has closed He has opened up another. The referee and man you see are because of God and my being the recipient of His favor.
Next I must give thanks, appreciation and all my love to my family for their many sacrifices as I selfishly pursued this avocation. .
I salute the IHSA staff for their continued support of not only my meager attempts to be a better official but also for the support and educational opportunities and requirements designed to make all licensed officials better.
I will forever be indebted to and grateful for the Metropolitan Officials Association (where I served as President for two years) and the Chicago Public League, where I learned to officiate and developed a passion for the “art of officiating”.
I would like to thank all of the assignors I have worked for who have put me in position to work games where I could develop and showcase my officiating abilities.
I would especially like to thank my fellow officials, who share in this award because without your support as good partners and teachers this award might never have been.
To the membership of all of the Associations to which I belong (Elgin Area Officials Association, Joliet Basketball Officials Association, Metropolitan Officials Association and the River Valley Officials Association your support has been invaluable and this award is for you.
My greatest respect and appreciation to all of those who are members of BBY Sports Academy; you make the wheel turn. Thank you for suffering me gracefully. I must say thank you to my first two students; 1) Candice Daniel (Women’s Div I, II and III) Marc Davis (NBA), your successes made me keep going.
Special acknowledgement must go out to Mrs. Alma Brealand, a woman who I met, at a time when I was at my lowest point in officiating, she refused to allow me to wallow in self pity, regret and bitterness, but in the sage wisdom of a Christian matriarch, encouraged me to be better and not bitter and to let the blessing be in the lesson. She then made my name known to a man by the name of David Sinski, who at the time was a Regional Director at After School Matters. This relationship was the corner stone to the development of BBY Sports NFP and BBY Sports Academy, a sports official training program and association.
After School Matters staff must receive primary credit for helping BBY Sports establish itself as a serious officials training program; out of this relationship we defined and refined our mission statement, goals and objectives. Words will never adequately express my gratitude for my relationship with After School Matters.
Finally, I need to acknowledge some very special people and friends: Ron Wright who continually pushed me to make my dream of forming an association a reality, he would not let my dream die; my very good friend, confidant and fellow workaholic Shawn Mercer-Dixon who has been there from the very beginning of BBY Sports; Len Sanford who is like a brother and is the untiring coordinator of training for basketball for BBY Sports; Bob Scott who has been a welcomed and energized advisor to the BBY Sports staff; Charley Schaeffer who has been an unequivocal and active supporter of BBY Sports and taught me a lot about Associations sharing resources; Steve Alexander who has acknowledged the efforts of BBY Sports staff in our training program by hiring many of our new officials to his conference and in closing, I would like to thank Mau Cason for talking me into becoming an official and then teaching me the basics of basketball officiating.
“WE BLOW THE WHISTLE WITHOUT FEAR AND WITHOUT FAVOR”
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