May Newsletter

NSAA/NHSOA Volleyball Clinics | Her Call Podcast | Ref's Life Substack | Officials in Action! | Become a Wrestling Official

May 15, 2025

Thank you, Kim Kwapnioski, for sharing information about upcoming NSAA/NHSOA volleyball clinics. These clinics will be held throughout Nebraska in July and August. You can click here (scroll down) to find specifics about each clinic.

Latest Podcast - Sara Sinani, Track Official

Don’t miss the latest Her Call Podcast with Sara Sinani! Click here to listen.

Ref’s Life - A Great Resource

Check out Ref’s Life, a Substack publication with the following mission: “to provide a platform where the art of officiating is celebrated, refined, and shared amongst a vibrant community of sports enthusiasts.”

I’ve enjoyed the last few installments about the mental aspect of officiating: “The Psychology of Officiating”, Part 1 and Part 2.

Subscribe today—it’s free!

Officials in Action!

I interviewed softball official Megan Herz earlier this year; “A Legacy in Blue” tells her officiating story, and in this podcast interview, Megan discusses camps and the college game.

Megan worked her first NCAA Division I softball game in April. Here’s Megan recalling her experience:

“As I sat in the locker room with my partners, all I could think of was to keep a good poker face on. I was very open with my partners when we went through our pre-game that I had very limited 3-man experience—I was working on it, but still not 100%. They both said they were happy to know that, and they looked out for me during the game. They were great about answering any questions that I peppered them with during and after both games.”

“I started the first game at first base. I didn't have too many close plays, so that helped me concentrate more on what I might need to do in rotation. For once, my brain slowed down, and instead of giving myself a novel to go over before each pitch, I just gave myself brief cliff notes. Amazingly, I hit my rotations decently. I only missed three, but for the new fish, it wasn't bad.”

“My second game was behind the plate (where I'm most comfortable), and my zone stayed consistent throughout the game. I did miss a few pitches here and there, but that happens in every game to every umpire. The day I think I have a perfect game is the day I should probably hang up my mask because there's always something to learn and get better at when you're an official.”

“All in all, it wasn't a bad outing for my first-ever D1 game. I was happy I wasn't so nervous when it came to the game, so maybe 23 years might be just enough experience to go up to the top level. ;) I didn't get a picture of myself from that big day, but I do have this that I wrote in my field notebook. It was what my little brother (the big-time softball umpire) told me the day of the game, and I read that to myself every inning.”

Congrats, Megan!

Become a Wrestling Official

The NHSOA is recruiting wrestling officials. Check out our very own Christin Benson and Callie Konicek in the advertisement! Wrestling is one of the fastest-growing girls’ sports—what a great time to get in on the action!