Sports

More than just volleyball at the 2006 NIRSA Collegiate Volleyball Sport Club Championships!

Officials Training Program camps, research study also taking place

The Professional Association of Volleyball Officials (PAVO) has been offering Officials Training Program (OTP) camps for several years in various venues. Most camps are held in conjunction with Division I spring tournaments. The purpose of these camps is to offer on-court officiating opportunities, with constructive feedback from experienced officials, to officials who desire improvement of skills and career advancement. Annual plans usually include at least one "Advanced Camp," which is intended for the experienced referee who is seeking the next level of skills and expertise.

Marcia Alterman, PAVO Executive Director, approached NIRSA in October about offering an OTP camp during the NIRSA Championships. She wrote, “As I’m sure you know, opportunities for referee training are vital to the continued improvement of the cadre of officials and the sport in general. The NIRSA Championships provide a great level of play for training, a plethora of matches in a short time period, and good administration and advance planning. In other words, it’s perfect!”

As a result, the Advanced Camp and a Traditional Camp will be held at the NIRSA Championships. These camps are jointly administrated by PAVO and USA Volleyball (USAV). Officials for the NIRSA Championships are already USAV Junior National or National Certified officials, and some of the confirmed officials will be taking part in the Advanced OTP camp being offered in conjunction with the Championships.

Dr. Jonathon Reeser, a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist at the Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin, has been granted permission to conduct research during the NIRSA Volleyball Championships. Through opt-in questionnaires and observations, Dr. Reeser and two colleagues hope to study the risk factors for volleyball-related shoulder pain in amateur athletes. Dr. Reeser has agreed to acknowledge NIRSA's support for his study in any submission for publication of the research conducted at the event. He will also forward to NIRSA a brief synopsis of the results of the study for publication in a future NIRSA Know.

In 2004, Dr. Reeser was among a distinguished panel of experts assembled by the Wisconsin Medical Society to establish guidelines regarding the assessment and management of chronic pain by primary care doctors.