UmpireHockey.org, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is pleased to announce the third of five winners of the 2007 Captain of the Year award. This year’s third winner is from Bergen County, New Jersey.

At the high school level, the Captain of the Year award is presented on a county-by-county basis. The program began in Mercer County, New Jersey in 2005 and has expanded to include awards in five counties in 2007.

The Captain of the Year award program was created by umpires in 2005 to help foster collaborative relationships between players and umpires. In addition to Bergen County, award winners for 2007 will be named in four other New Jersey counties -– Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, and Somerset. In 2008, in addition to the New Jersey counties just listed, the award will also be presented to a player from San Diego County, California.

The 2007 Bergen County winner is Kelsey Weiss, a Northern Highlands Regional High School senior.

Kelly Weiss (left) is presented the Captain of the Year award plaque by Rich Smith of New Jersey Express Field Hockey, sponsor of the award program in Bergen County, NJ.

Weiss, contacted after the presentation, said, "Playing field hockey for the past four years has been the highlight of my high school career, and I am honored to have been recognized with the 2007 Captain of the Year award."

The award in Bergen County is sponsored by New Jersey Express Field Hockey. Funding provides the award winner's recognition plaque, offsets the cost for advanced training of Bergen County umpires, and supports rules education programs for players, coaches, and fans.

According to the UmpireHockey.org website, "The Captain of the Year award winner is typically a player who helps ensure the fairest possible outcome of a game because she has in-depth rules knowledge and so is able to be an advocate for her team when it becomes necessary to challenge an umpire's important call."

UmpireHockey.org's selection committee is made up of high performance umpires, all of whom have been trained by umpires who have officiated gold medal games at the Olympics. A blind review of the nomination forms is used in determining each county's winner.

All team captains in a sponsored county are automatically eligible for the award though individual nominations are required. Further, nominees do not have to be serving their team as captain but most display the leadership qualities required by the position.

UmpireHockey.org is seeking a national sponsor to bring the award program to the college level. For more information concerning the Captain of the Year award program, please write: coty@umpirehockey.org

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