MUSKEGON , Mich. – On Thursday, November 18, 2010 one of the participants in the Officiating Development Program (ODP) sponsored by USA Hockey stood in front of a special education class at the Mona Shores High School in the Muskegon area. This came a day after many in the class room were a part of the 3,025 students and fans who attended the special education day matinee game on Wednesday, November 17, in Muskegon played between the home town Lumberjacks and the Omaha Lancers. Zac Blazic was one of the referees on the ice for the United States Hockey League game, a 6-5 shootout win for Muskegon. Blazic, age 25, from the Philadelphia area, was partially fulfilling a new requirement that all full-time members of the ODP perform monthly community service. He spent over an hour with the class, showing them his officiating gear, answering a variety of questions about the sport of ice hockey, refereeing, and how he came to be a part of the ODP. “I was impressed with the amount of research the students had done on ice hockey and more importantly, the hand written thank you notes I receive from the kids a day later.” Blazic said. Blazic plans to repeat the presentation back home in the Philadelphia area in December for a sixth grade special education class. USA Hockey both encourages and requires the 70 full-time participants in the ODP to give back to the community in the form of community service each month. The community service requirement is an outgrowth of a suggestion from several ODP cadre members who wanted to repay some of the investment USA Hockey and the cooperative leagues make each year in helping young officials pursue their on-ice career goals. “USA Hockey and the leagues we work with, invest a lot of time and money in the development of these young men and women, so community service is a way we can say thank you to the hockey community,” said Scott Brand, who coordinates the ODP program. Community involvement comes in a variety of venues. Other examples of volunteerism include the time linesman Andy Bethman spends each week tutoring eighth grade students in math in the St. Louis area. A St. Louis resident himself, the 23-year old is currently in his third season in the ODP. Meanwhile, another linesman Dana Penkivech, is helping to give elderly residents in his home town flu shots on his own time after work. The 24-year old from Apple Valley, Minnesota, will complete pharmacy school in May and is already working as a pharmacist intern. He is working Division One College Hockey in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association this season, as well as working in minor professional hockey. Penkivech said, “I am thankful to USA Hockey, the ODP and hockey leagues such as the USHL and WCHA for the contributions all have made to my on-ice development. The satisfaction of doing something for my community to say thanks is a great personal opportunity.” The 70 full-time members are part of the larger group of 450 men and women in the ODP program which was launched 13 seasons ago. The purpose of the program is to develop USA Hockey Registered on-ice officials so they can eventually work high level collegiate, international and professional hockey. Individual community service efforts are reported and tracked each month by the ODP staff. The ODP uses assignments in 15 separate leagues across the United States as part of their development. Included are games in the Southern Professional Hockey League, the Central Hockey League, the ECHL and the American Hockey League. Assignments in these leagues usually come after candidates have worked a few seasons at the junior level in such leagues as the Minnesota Junior Hockey League, NAHL and then move on to the Tier II North American Hockey League and the Tier I United States Hockey League. Johnathan Morrison, originally from Mason City, Iowa, is an ODP graduate who is now part of the ODP supervisory staff. “I have been able to work hockey all over the world due in part to my involvement in the ODP and through USA Hockey,” said Morrison. Morrison who tracks the community service requirement for all program participants is scheduled to work the World Junior Championships sponsored by the International Ice Hockey Federation starting in December in Buffalo NY. “This latest assignment is another contribution that USA Hockey has made to me; so giving back makes sense for all of us in or associated with the ODP program. ” Contact the author at Phil.Brand@prohockeynews.com
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