Mentor Program
One of the missions of the association is to provide its members with the opportunity to develop their professional skills to better serve the sports of track and cross country. To that end we offer a mentoring program wherein a veteran member official will actively work with a member official of less experience. Mentoring can be a highly rewarding relationship for both parties, and for the ITCCOA and IHSA it can be a very rewarding method for new or younger officials to learn from successful practitioners. Working with someone who’s “been there, done that” can help you navigate your time in officiating more easily (and recover from missteps more quickly), and vastly speed up your learning curve. But to realize the best of the benefits of mentoring or mentoring programs, it’s important to think through what you – and the ITTCOA and IHSA – hope to gain from the relationship, and what your responsibilities will be. The program guidelines are found below as well as other documents that may be helpful in fostering a lasting mentor/mentee relationship.
ITCCOA Mentor Program Guidelines
- The supervising official (Mentor) must be a member of ITCCOA and have a minimum of seven (7) years of experience as a licensed IHSA official in track and cross-country.
- The official being mentored (Mentee) must be a member of ITCCOA and have five (5) or fewer years of experience as a licensed IHSA official in track and cross-country
- The supervising official and mentored official must work together at four (4) meets during the year. One meet will concentrate on an official’s pre-meet responsibilities and field events. A second meet will focus on the duties of clerk of the course and starter/assistant starter. A third meet will emphasize the mechanics of a properly functioning finish line and an official’s postcompetition responsibilities. A final meet is to let the mentored official apply what was generally learned in the overall practice of good officiating.
- The official being mentored is to also serve as a volunteer official in some capacity in the IHSA and/or IESA State Series competition (Regionals, Sectionals, and/or State Finals). This may occur independently of the supervising official, although a joint presence is preferred.
- Upon successfully completing the four (4) mutually attended meets and the state series requirement, the mentored official will receive compensation in the amount of $50 from the association. The successful mentee also eligible for a complimentary attendance to the Annual Meeting in December and complimentary attendance to the ITCCOA T&F Clinic usually hosted in January
- The number of mentored officials sponsored in any year may be restricted due to limited resources within the association. If you feel you are able to meet the responsibilities of the Mentor or the Mentee in this program, complete and forward the application.
Click the White Box below to go to the Google Form to apply for the Mentor Program or print the form and mail it to Mark Schall. It would also be good to send Mark an e-mail to follow up or just ask questions.
Mentoring Application.docxMentoring Dates.docxMentoring Program Information.docForms needed to complete the mentoring program. Please download, fill out, and send these in to:
Mark Schall6638 N. OcontoChicago, IL 60631mrkschall@sbcglobal.netWhat is a mentor?
How to mentor?
What relationship should I have with my mentee?
Ways of Mentoring.pdfThe Mentoring Relationship.pdfWhat is a Mentor.pdfMeet our Mentoring Chair
Contact Mark at:
mrkschall@sbcglobal.net
I have been a Cross Country/Track and Field official for 20 years. I work IESA, IHSA, USATF, and collegiate meets throughout the course of both seasons. I enjoy all aspects of officiating and I strive to learn new skills every year. I believe it is critical for officials in our sport to be professional and proactive. As officials, we must place the athletes at the center of all that we do.
I have been married to my wife Leslie for 37 years and I have four children and 2 grandchildren. I am retired after 36 years as an educator in Illinois. I live on the northwest side of Chicago, and like many other officials, I became involved in running at an early age.