Large Class State Championships Moving from Daytona

[Jambun82]

4 hours ago, badbird said:

That's Don Trawick.  Sill kicking at 83 and in charge of the Central Florida association.  I'm sure I cursed him out once or twice @Jambun82

 

 

Contest Official
Inducted 2011

Don Trawick has been a staple in Florida high school sports officiating for more than half of his life.

 

The 74-year-old Enterprise, Ala., native graduated from Enterprise High School as the captain of his football team in 1955 and went on to play football at Troy State University. He spent two years in college before joining the Marines. In 1959, he moved to Orlando where his lifelong love affair with sports officiating began.

 

Trawick started as a contest official for the Orange Baseball Association in 1961. In 1963, he joined the Central Florida Officials Association. Since then, he has officiated thousands of baseball and football games from middle school to high school state finals. He is considered one of the greatest teachers and mentors to officials that the state has known. He has trained high school umpires and mentored hundreds of collegiate and professional officials, including Roy Ellison, who was on the officiating crew at Super Bowl XLIII as the umpire.

 

As an assignor, Trawick is responsible for booking every high school baseball game in Central Florida for the last 20 years and has been the assignment officer for football the past eight years. He actively participates on the OBA and CFOA boards, the latter of which supervises the largest officials association in Florida. After being named the FHSAA Contributor of the Year in 2004, in 2008 he was inducted into the Central Florida Officials Association Hall of Fame as a member of its inaugural class.

 

Trawick's influence transcends generations of officials in two different sports, and his legacy in Florida high school sports officiating will continue for many years.

Thank you for sharing that information Badbird.  I have a nice new topic to bring up with Don the next time that I talk with him. lol