Expert: Vic Winnek - 11/19/2007

Question
Next year will be my 6th year in NFHS football (in TN)and I am wanting to move up the ladder to work college ball.  I am thinking about attending a camp this offseason but am wondering which ones are the best. Do you know of any good camps that you would recommend?

Answer
Mike
Congratulation on completing your 5th season!  Hope you enjoy officiating  I can see you are dedicated to bettering yourself, I wish all 5th year officials would take a lesson from you.

Going to camps is an excellent way to improve and learn how to become a better official and an excellent way for you to been seen by NCAA supervisors of officials and get exposure to NFL officials.  There are 4 camps that I have personal knowledge of and know to be excellent!  Below is is information about them.  I do not endorse any camps nor am I paid by any camps but offer these 4 from my personal experience and know them to be excellent! My first choice would be the Reno or Freso camps as I have seen lots of NCAA hires from those camps.  Dick Honig's camp is very good as is the Personal Touch football Camp put on by NFL Umpire Chad Brown and NFL Line Judge Chuck Stewart in Los Angeles.

1. Personal Touch Football Camp
2. Fresno High School Football Officials camp
3. Reno Football Officials Camp [My first choice - excellent and well worth the money; noe is better]
4.  Dick Honig's Great Lakes Collegiate Football Officiating Clinic
5)  2008 West Texas Football Officials’ Clinic

1) Personal Touch Football Camp
by Chad Brown, NFL and Chuck Stewart, NFL
at UCLA (Los Angeles, CA)

2) Fresno, CA  http://www.hsfootballofficialscamp.com
June 26 - June 29, 2008
Instructors:
Tony Michalek - NFL
Scott Monaco - Pac-10, WAC
Randy Mora - WCFOA, NIFOA, CCFOA, NBOA
Mike Parr - SJVOA
John Pemberton - Pac-10
John Stoney - SCIAC
Rob Vernatchi - NFL
Frank Wright - NBOA
Bob Wucetich - MWC
Mike Aaronian - Pac-10
Bill Agopian - MWC
Craig Battaglia - MWC
Bruce Bondi - NCOA, COA
Pete Dardis - NBOA, Camp Director
Phil Diebel - COA
Craig Falkner - MWC
Bill Jordan, Ph.D. - Big West
Leon Lancaster - COA
Greg Lemon - SJVOA

3) **** Reno Camp *** http://www.footballofficialscamp.com
Camp 1: June 10-13, 2008  
Camp 2: June 17-20, 2008
Reno instructors:  
Bill Agopian - MWC
Walt Anderson - NFL/Big 12- Coordinator
Craig Battaglia - MWC
Mike Burton - Coordinator
Randy Campbell - MWC
Ron Capra - Coordinator
Carl Cheffers - NFL
Tony Corrente - NFL
Jim Coyne - Technical Advisor
Dave Cutaia - Pac-10
Terry Gierke - Scout
Beau Hicks - NIFL
Judson Howard - NFL/MWC- Scout
Joe Kozak - MWC
Jerry Markbreit - NFL
Tony Michalek - NFL
Pete Morelli - NFL
Scott Novak - MWC
Carl Paganelli - MAC- Coordinator
Mark Perlman - NFL
Tim Podraza - MWC
Rogers Redding - SEC- Coordinator
Karl Richins - MWC
Ken Rivera - MWC-Coordinator
Dan Romeo - MWC-Camp Director
Sid Semon - NFL- Trainer
John Stoney - SCIAC
Scott Teifer - MWC
Larry Upson - Director NFL
Dave Warden -  Big 12- Assistant Coordinator
Greg Wilson - MWC
Jack Wood - Pac-10
Bob Wucetich - MWC
Bud Alexander - Big 12/NFL- Scout
Walt Anderson - NFL/Big 12- Coordinator
Gerald Austin - NFL, C-USA
Jim Blackwood - WAC, NFL
Byron Boston - NFL/Southland- Coordinator
Bill Carollo - NFL
Land Clark - MWC
George Coleman - NFL, Big 12
Walt Coleman - NFL
Al Cory - MWC
Dave Curschman - Pac-10- Camp Director
Jim Farmer - Big Sky
Bobby Gaston - SEC-
Coordinator Emeritus
Johnny Grier - NFL- Supervisor
Rich Hall - NFL
Al Jury- NFL- Trainer
Jim Keogh - Big 10- Technical Advisor
Rich Kollen- MWC
Leon Lancaster - CCFOA
Bill LeMonnier - Big 10 / USA Football
Kevin Matthews - MWC
Greg Meyer - NFL
Bill McCabe - WAC
Bill McClure - MWC/NFL- Scout
Art McNally - NFL
Jack O'Cain - SCIAC, MWC
Bill Richardson - Pac-10, NFL
Ken Rivera - MWC-Coordinator
Verle Sorgen -  Pac-10- Coordinator
Jim Tunney - Special Guest
Frank White - WAC
Gerald Wright - MWC


4)  12th Annual Great Lakes Collegiate Football Officiating Clinic

Michigan State University - East Lansing, MI
April 10, 11, 12, 2008
Contact: Dick Honig - 888-468-3284
Information and registration forms will be sent out in Early 2008.
e-mail to: dick@honigs.com
Clinic includes an on-field scrimmage with evaluation. Has some of the finest clinicians from the NCAA (Big 10 & MAC) and NFL. Considered one of the the finest collegiate clinics in the country. Starts on Thur, April 10 - concludes after scrimmage and film review (approx 6pm) on Apr 12


5)  2008 West Texas Football Officials’ Clinic

Canutillo Football Complex and Sun Bowl Stadium
El Paso, TX
May 16 - 17, 2008
Contact: Richard Corona
Email: rcorona11@elp.rr.com or Phone (915) 525-3581
Limited spaces available. Cost is $100.00 ($115.00 after April 15) Learn from top-level collegiate clinicians and fine tune your mechanics with two days of on-field instruction. Instruction incorporates live team action from the Spring Games Scrimmages of local teams with a video review and classroom follow-up to help improve your skills. Visit with officials from high through NCAA DI to get advice on moving to the next level and improving your game for the upcoming season. Clinicians tentative scheduled to participate have experience in the WAC, MWC, CUSA and Big 12


I hope this helps.  Best of luck,

Vic Winnek
NCAA Football Official