President's Corner

I want to share my vision and philosophy for how the TXLOA is governed.

TXLOA is an inclusive organization that will be free from any form of discrimination.   You will be treated fairly and with dignity.   We, as members of TXLOA, must at all times act respectfully to our coaches, players, parents, fans, administrators, and especially our fellow officials.  We are professionals.

Our organization will challenge you to “move up” as you improve your lacrosse officiating skills.   Our association prides itself in developing every year a very large contingent of officials who receive playoff and all-star game assignments.   We want to continue this trend.

Taking care of business will be a point of emphasis for each season.   Officials must have the proper officiating equipment and uniform, and we must look sharp in our appearance.   Crew chiefs (i.e., the "Referee" assigned to the game) must confirm games 24 hours before game time to ensure that everything is set.

Training will be enhanced with quizzes and periodic reminders throughout the season on rule changes or hints/tips on how we can improve.   We will also continue the policy of granting scholarships to those officials who desire to attend the LAREDOs (i.e., Development Clinics given by senior clinicians of USA Lacrosse) for enhanced deep-dive training.   Look for the announcements.   We are also striving to conduct more game observations to give officials real-time feedback on things done well or development needs.

We have listened carefully to your feedback from previous end-of-season surveys.   We will strive to make the TXLOA a great place to enjoy the camaraderie of officiating the “fastest game on two feet” (not counting the Irish sport of hurling, which is much faster).

Please feel free to contact me (president2@txloa.net) or any other board member listed on the “Contacts” tab, if you have any questions, concerns, or feedback.

Drew Hewitt