Joining SICOA is easy.
Fulfilling the commitment is not.
Make sure you have the time and resources to become
a sports official. Training, continued education and your
availability on weeknights and all day Saturday are key
to your successful participation. Also make sure your family and employer are understanding and will be 100% cooperative. Officiating should never take preference over your family and employment obligations.
Thank you for your interest in becoming a SICOA Football Official. The next class for new candidates will begin in March of 2011.
Classes are Tuesday & Thursday evenings from 7pm to 9pm at Tampa Bay Technical High School for six to eight weeks followed by field training in spring Pop Warner and high school scrimmages.
Attendance at class is mandatory; only two excused absences will be allowed.
There is no fee for this workshop. But 2011 membership with SICOA is required for all participants ($40). This includes books, hand outs, practice exams, etc . Bring a note pad, pen or pencil and a folder for handouts to class every night.
After successful completion of this workshop, you will be eligible to officiate within our association. You are required to join the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) and take the annual football test in August. You then will be a registered official in the state of Florida. The FHSAA and SICOA are active in supporting the student official program. Students under 18 as of July 1st and enrolled in high school for the 2011-2012 school year are encouraged to join us. Minimum age is 16.
This will provide you the opportunity to start Officiating contests throughout our contracted youth and high school programs in the four counties that we service. Youth programs have the majority of their games on Saturday's and pay the officials on the field. High school contests are Thursday evenings, Friday afternoons and Friday nights. Game fees per official range from $25 for flag games to $45 and $50 for youth games. High School game fees per official range from $34.00 for doing the clock to $70 for varsity contests. Youth game sets are anywhere from 5-8 games with at least one game on the clock.
Projected Out Of Pocket Expenses For New Officials
- Do you have a passion for football? Do you want to be in on the action? Become An Official!
- Off and On Field Training begins at our Spring Workshop
- Officiate Games on the youth & middle school levels your first year
- Growth Opportunities Available. Get paid to officiate football!
- You Love the Game of Football...officiating is a great way to be involved
- You Can Influence Kids...be a role model who helps make the game safe and fair
- Builds Positive Life Skills...your communication, confidence and decision making skills improve greatly
- Earn Extra Money...unlike most hobbies, officials get paid for their time
- Make Lifelong Friends and Memories...fellow officials share experiences that will last a lifetime
- Give Back to Your Community...help continue the legacy of organized sports
Share your enthusiasm for sports with eager student athletes and help mold the future of our youth. It's a great way to stay active and provide a lifetime educational experience for kids.
Don't know the rules? Don't worry. We have an extensive training program designed to help every official succeed on the field. New recruits are also assigned a seasoned veteran to have a mentor/mentee relationship.
If you love football, join now. The best seat in the house is on the field.
Our
History
SICOA
was founded in 1995 due to a need for youth league officials
in Pop Warner football in Hillsborough and Sarasota counties.
Twelve officials made the first roster. In subsequant years,
more youth programs came on board and the need for additional
officials became evident. SICOA started their C.O.R.E. training
program which is still utilized today. C.O.R.E. stands for
Continued Officiating Review & Education. Other associations
around the country have modeled their training after this
very successful program.
In
2002, SICOA became a member of the Florida High School Athletic
Association and started working interscholastic high school
contest's. In that same year, the association received accolades
from the FHSAA as we led the state in student/official registrations.
In
2003, the FHSAA awarded a state football officials field clinic
to SICOA and the Lake Region Officials Association. The clinic
attracted over 150 officials state wide and was a huge success.
In
2004, SICOA retained their first collegiate program and became
a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
(NAIA).
Supervisor
of Officials John Walters oversees a staff of over 130 officials
within SICOA's football staff, and is also the Supervisor
of Officials for three,
minor league football conferences that start play each January.
Today,
SICOA services 70 youth football organizations in eight bay
area counties with 19 sites assigned every Saturday. The high school program is also flourishing with an average of 10 interscholastic games booked each week.
From
the original staff of 12, Walters, Jeff Merrin, Chip Lugo,
Lance Sweat and Dean Davis are all still active members.
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