Nine High School Officials Named Award Recipients by NFHS Officials Association

Nine individuals who have been involved in high school sports officiating for many years have been selected as the 2023 recipients of national and section awards by the NFHS Officials Association.

Two individuals are receiving the National Contributor and National Active Official awards, while the other seven are receiving Section Active Officials of the Year awards.

Ernie Yarbrough, coordinator of officials with the Georgia High School Association in Thomaston, Georgia, is the recipient of the National Contributor Award, and Robert Csigi, an active official in four sports from Clifton, New Jersey, is the 2023 recipient of the National Active Official Award.

Sectional awards are being presented to Lynne Clemente, Barnegat, New Jersey, Section 1; Jill Poole, Mt. Vernon, Georgia, Section 3; James Russell, Danville, Indiana, Section 4; Jim Pfeifer, Milford, Iowa, Section 4; Rodney Palen, Beloit, Kansas, Section 5; Steve Charron, Huron, South Dakota, Section 5; and Victor Roy Sr., North Little Rock, Arkansas, Section 6.

Following are biographical sketches of the nine NFHS Officials Association award recipients for 2023:

NATIONAL CONTRIBUTOR

Ernie Yarbrough – Thomaston, Georgia

After coaching at the high school and college levels for 18 years, Ernie Yarbrough joined the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) on a full-time basis in 2001. He began his work with the GHSA in 1992 as the basketball rules interpreter and in 1997 as the softball rules interpreter.

In his 23rd year with the association and currently serving as assistant executive director and coordinator of officiating, Yarbrough also serves as coordinator for lacrosse and is logistics coordinator for many GHSA state championship events. He created the GHSA Contest Officials Handbook and Accountability Program and the GHSA Developmental Camp program for GHSA contest officials.

A native of Owasso, Oklahoma, Yarbrough graduated from California State University, Pomona. After several years of tryouts with professional football teams, Yarbrough turned his attention to coaching. He coached football, basketball and softball at high schools in California and Georgia for eight years, and he coached football and women’s basketball at Whittier College, Cal State-Pomona, Emory University and Atlanta Christian College for 10 years.

Yarbrough also has extensive involvement in officiating and fast-pitch softball. He was a high school and college basketball official for 32 years, and he officiated high school state championship games in three states – Oklahoma, California and Georgia. He also has been involved with fast-pitch softball for more than 50 years as a player, coach and administrator.

As a result of his involvement with softball, Yarbrough was inducted into the Georgia Softball Hall of Fame in 2016, and he coached the USA Girls Junior National Team to a gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games.

Earlier in his career, Yarbrough was a player personnel scout in the National Football League for 13 years. Nationally with the NFHS, Yarbrough has been a member of the Basketball Rules Committee, Softball Rules Committee and Boys Lacrosse Rules Committee.

Last summer, Yarbrough received the NFHS State Association Citation for Section 3.

NATIONAL ACTIVE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

Robert Csigi has been a high school contest official in New Jersey for 44 years and is still active in four sports. Csigi has officiated high school football since 1979, basketball and softball since 1980 and volleyball since 1984. He also officiated high school baseball for 15 years and soccer for five years, and he officiated NCAA women’s college basketball for 27 years.

Among his previous awards, Csigi received the Northeast II Volleyball Service Award in 2000, the NFHS Officials Association Girls Volleyball Official of the Year in 2003, two awards from the Bergen County Umpires Association in 2022 and the James Rosati Service Award from the North Jersey Football Association in 2018.

Csigi has officiated in numerous New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournaments during his career, including championships in volleyball, football, basketball and softball.

In addition, Csigi has given years of service to officials boards and associations. Within the New Jersey Football Officials Association, Csigi has been treasurer for 17 years as well as an Executive Board member for three years. He also has been president of the Bergen County Umpires Association and a member of several committees.

SECTION 1 ACTIVE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

Lynne Clemente – Barnegat, New Jersey

Lynne Clemente has been an active gymnastics official within the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) for 19 years. She is currently the NJSIAA state gymnastics rules interpreter and State Executive Board president.

Clemente, a history teacher at Barnegat High School in New Jersey, is former president of the NJSIAA Shore Chapter Gymnastics Officials and currently an assignor for the Shore Chapter.

In addition to officiating gymnastics at the high school level, Clemente is an official for USA Gymnastics, the National Association of Women’s Gymnastics Judges (NAWGJ) and the NCAA. She was a judge for the 2023 USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Championships, and the past three NCAA Division I National Gymnastics Championships.

At Barnegat High School, Clemente helped create NCAA training videos and facilitate clinics for judges and coaches as part of an educational project that focused on landing and execution deductions.

SECTION 3 ACTIVE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

Jill Poole – Mt. Vernon, Georgia

Jill Poole has been a basketball official and softball umpire in Georgia since 1998 and continues to be an ambassador of officiating to younger officials. Poole is heavily involved with the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) as a GHSA Officials Development Camp Instructor for both basketball and softball. In total, she has worked 13 GHSA Basketball State Championships and 17 GHSA Softball State Championships.

In 2019, Poole received the inaugural GHSA Contributor to the Cause in Officiating Award and was named the GHSA Softball Umpire of the Year in 2020.

Locally, Poole is president of the Vidalia-Toombs Softball Umpires Association and president of the Southeastern Basketball Officials Association. She is also a USA Softball Junior Olympic Umpire.

SECTION 4 ACTIVE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

James Russell – Danville, Indiana

James Russell has dedicated 50 years as a wrestling official to the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and the Indiana State Wrestling Association.

Russell’s extensive experience with the IHSAA Wrestling State Tournament includes officiating 46 sectionals, 40 regionals, 35 semi-state rounds, 18 individual state finals and four team state finals. In addition, he has been chosen as the individual state finals supervisor 10 times and another six times for the team event. Russell has been the IHSAA Wrestling Rules Interpreter for 30 years and currently serves as the Indiana State Wrestling Association Senior Director.

Russell has been voted as a top 5 rated official for 25 consecutive years, including being the top ranked official in the state in 17 of the past 20 years. Well respected by wrestlers, coaches and peers, Russell’s knowledge and interpretation of the rules – and the ability to easily explain the rules – is second to none.

In 2008, Russell was inducted into the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame and earned the NFHS Officials Association Official of the Year in 2002. In addition, he has been named official of the year by the Indiana State Wrestling Association in 2009, the Indiana Officials Association in 1999 and the Calumet Athletic Officials Association in 2010.

SECTION 4 ACTIVE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

Jim Pfeifer – Milford, Iowa

As a three-sport official, Jim Pfeifer has left his mark on the sports of baseball, football and wrestling throughout the state of Iowa.

Pfeifer has officiated football for 33 years and has numerous Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) playoff games to his credit, including eight championship games.

In the sport of baseball, Pfeifer has officiated for 32 years and worked 20 IHSAA Baseball State Tournaments, including 14 championship games.

Pfeifer’s work with IHSAA wrestling includes officiating 28 years of postseason experience, including nine state wrestling tournaments and four state finals. He was named the NFHS Officials Association Wrestling Official of the Year in 2017-18.

Pfeifer is also an accomplished collegiate official in baseball and football. He has 32 years of experience in baseball at the college level, including postseason games at the regional level.

In 2023, Pfeifer was inducted into the IHSAA Officials Hall of Fame.

SECTION 5 ACTIVE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

Rodney Palen – Beloit, Kansas

Rodney Palen’s 38 years as an official have seen him be involved in basketball and  football for 31 years, baseball for 19 years, softball for 19 years, and volleyball for 13 years. He is a registered referee for the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA), the NCAA and the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference/Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Palen has also served in different roles as a league assigner and recruiter of new officials and is currently the league commissioner for the Northern Plains League and the North Central Activities Association. He also has officiated a number of KSHSAA state championships in a variety of sports.

Palen is dedicated to his craft, and cares deeply about the success of other officials. He mentors a football crew on a weekly basis and he even gives out challenges to other officials to help them improve their craft. He is also continuing to learn more as an official, as he still gets taught by others in the volleyball world.

Palen is always willing to help others and is always thinking about the best interests of student participants and officials. Palen is a massive advocate for officials in the area and the state of Kansas.

SECTION 5 ACTIVE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

Steve Charron – Huron, South Dakota

Steve Charron has been officiating cross country and track and field for more than 40 years. During this time, he has put much effort into growing officiating in South Dakota and continues to do so to this day.

Charron and another colleague have been putting on free clinics about the best practices for cross country and track and field officials and administrators for about 30 years. He is also a co-founder of the South Dakota Track and Field-Cross Country Officials Association, served on the South Dakota Cross Country and Track and Field Advisory Committee, and is currently serving on the South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA) High School All-Sports Council, where he represents cross country and track and field.

Charron has won the 1994 NFHS Officials Association Outstanding Boys and Girls Track Official Award, the 1995 SDHSAA Distinguished Service Award, and the 2014 Eastern South Dakota Conference Award of Merit as a track and field official.

Charron has also been the head starter for 29 SDHSAA state championships and has officiated more than 1,600 meets in his career. Charron has worked diligently in cross country and track and field to help recruit, mentor and train officials in South Dakota for 44 years.

SECTION 6 ACTIVE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

Victor Roy, Sr. – North Little Rock, Arkansas

Victor Roy has been officiating basketball for 39 years. Roy started his career in college, where he refereed intramural basketball at the University of Central Arkansas, the school he attended. From there, Roy went on to officiate junior high and high school basketball games.

In 1995, Roy made his way up to the collegiate level, where he officiated NCAA Division I women’s basketball for more than 20 years. He has also had the opportunity to officiate in NCAA tournaments, ranging from Division I to Division III. Roy is also a registered volleyball and football official.

In 1996, Roy became a part of the Central Arkansas Referee School, the largest officiating skills camp in the state, and has been the director since 2009. As the director, he is a great mentor to young referees and always encourages his students and gives them advice on how they can improve. In 2017, Roy was inducted into the Arkansas Officials Hall of Fame.

Roy has been and continues to be a great asset to the Arkansas Officials Association. Whether that be through mentoring young officials, officiating games or assigning officials to games, he is always there to support his association.