ZONI

Elections for the next school year were held at the Sunday, May 6 meeting. Thanks to the outgoing members of the existing Board for their service to the organization (Mark Trapp, President, and Darnell Jones, Member at Large).

Congratulations to the 2012-13 ZONI Executive Board:

• President Looie Green
• Vice President Kevin Helmick
• Secretary/Treasurer Stan Wiedeman
• Member at Large Mark Febonio
• Member at Large Cindy Panagiotaros

ZONI Official Joe Boshold was in the right place at the right time recently. During his daughter’s softball game, the third base coach collapsed with a heart attack. Joe performed CPR and an athletic trainer used an AED to shock the coach’s heart. Doctors told the coach’s wife that the CPR and AED saved his life.

Joe was recognized at the Sunday, May 6 ZONI meeting for his heroic actions. President Mark Trapp presented Joe with a plaque in front of a standing ovation.

For a full article, please see the account in the Daily Herald.

The 11th Whistle for a Cause Volleyball Officials Clinic will be held from 9 AM – 1 PM on Saturday, March 10, at Niles West High School in Skokie. Proceeds from the event will be used to purchase volleyball equipment for area high schools that lack even the most basic equipment (such as balls and nets) for their volleyball programs.

Since the initial event in 1997, the Clinic has raised over $22,000 for a variety of causes related to high school athletics. In recent years, clinic proceeds have benefitted:

• 21 Needy Chicago-Area High School Volleyball Programs
• 3 New Orleans High School Volleyball Programs devastated by Hurricane Katrina
• 2 High school volleyball players stricken with cancer
• A high school basketball player who lost both feet and all fingers to complications from bacterial meningitis
• A multi-sport high school athlete battling leukemia
• The family (including a volleyball coach) of a volleyball player killed in the Columbine massacre
• A child of a volleyball coach stricken with leukemia
• A toddler of a volleyball official battling Hodgkin’s Disease
• An infant son of a volleyball official with a heart defect

In the past, in addition to money raised for purchases and equipment distributor contributions, many local high schools have donated their gently-used equipment to other schools that are in need.

ZONI is sponsoring the clinic. Clinicians are all very experienced high school officials. Collectively, the group has many State Final assignments, and includes PAVO and USAV National Referees and multiple Division I college referees.

The cost of the clinic is $20 for those who register before March 2, 2012. Additional donations are welcomed.

For more information about the clinic and to register, please check out the Clinic Flyer . Additional questions may be directed to Looie Green (looieg60@gmail.com), Ed Vesely (eveselyvb@gmail.com), or Nancy Nester (njn51@hotmail.com).

Lyons Township High School’s varsity volleyball was recently awarded ZONI’s Sportsmanship banner. The banner is given to the school whose players, coaches, and fans exhibit the best sportsmanship throughout a season. ZONI members rate their top schools. The team with the overall highest score is awarded a banner. Other schools that score well in the balloting are awarded certificates.

Lyons Township’s varsity team also won Sportsmanship Banners in 2009 and 2006. Its varsity teams have consistently received high sportsmanship marks, earning a banner or certificate from ZONI nearly every year since the Sportsmanship Program started in 1997.

ZONI is proud of all of our winners. The Sportsmanship Awards are given to further one of ZONI’s goals: to support and encourage attitude and behavior that reflects positively on interscholastic volleyball.

For a list of all of this season’s certificate winners and previous season’s winners, please look at our Sportsmanship Page.

Congratulations to the following ZONI member who worked the 2011 Girls State Finals:

Floor Official:

• Chris Curry

Congratulations to the varsity boys volleyball teams from Libertyville and Waukegan High Schools. They are the winners of ZONI’s Sportsmanship banners for the Spring 2011 season. Each school will receive a banner to place in their gyms. ZONI officials voted these two teams the best for overall player, coach, and fan sportsmanship across all of the schools and teams that ZONI members worked during the season.

For a list of the other teams rated well enough to receive Sportsmanship Certificates as well as lists of previous winners, please click here.

ZONI had a very large presence at the recent Boys State Finals. Congratulations to the following ZONI members who worked the 2011 Boys State Finals:

Floor Officials:

• Julie Colwell
• Darnell Jones
• Terri Narantic
• Ed Vesely

Line Judges:

• Mark Febonio
• Kevin Helmick
• Neil Marron
• Todd Roth

Officials Coordinator: Nancy Nester

ZONI held a very successful Whistle for a Cause Clinic at Niles West High School in Skokie on March 12, 2011. 141 people attended, and over $3,000 was raised to purchase volleyball equipment for schools trying to enhance their volleyball programs but struggling to secure even the most basic equipment.

Thank you very much to Niles West High School, our clinicians, and everyone who made a donation!

Wauconda High School’s varsity volleyball was recently awarded ZONI’s Sportsmanship banner. The banner is given to the school whose players, coaches, and fans exhibit the best sportsmanship throughout a season. ZONI members rate their top schools. The team with the overall highest score is awarded a banner. Other schools that score well in the balloting are awarded certificates. For a list of current and past winners, please see our Sportsmanship page.

ZONI is proud of all of our winners. The Sportsmanship Awards are given to further one of ZONI’s goals: to support and encourage attitude and behavior that reflects positively on interscholastic volleyball.

Congratulations to the following ZONI members who worked the 2010 Girls State Finals:

Floor Officials:

* Looie Green
* Mark Trapp

Line Judges:

* Mark Febonio
* Darnell Jones
* Janice McGeary

Officials Coordinator: Mark McKinnon