Two employees of the Iowa High School Athletic Association are among the 2013 Citation Award winners of the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS).
IHSAA Director of Officials Roger Barr and Information Director Bernard (Bud) Legg will be honored at the 94th NFHS Summer Meeting Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, June 25. The luncheon is at the Hyatt Regency-Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO.
Citation awards will go to eight state high school association staff members. The other four Citation recipients represent NFHS professional organizations for officials, coaches, music, speech, debate and theatre. The NFHS Citation is one of the most highly regarded achievements in high school athletics and performing arts. It was created in 1997 to recognize the efforts of deserving individuals for their work within their state and service to the NFHS and related fine arts groups.
Barr, an Algona native, joined the IHSAA in May 2003 as Director Officials after a 30 year career as a football, basketball and baseball official, and operating a successful sporting goods store. He is one of two officials all-time in Iowa to rank among the top eight in state assignments and championship games in football, boys’ basketball, and baseball. When his work in girls’ basketball is added he is the only Iowa official to rank in the top eight in state tournament assignments and championship games.
He officiated the football playoffs 26 years, working 68 games, including 10 championship games. In baseball, he umpired in 26 State Tournaments with 24 championship contests. In basketball, he officiated 46 Boys’ State Basketball Tournament games including 12 title contests. In girls’ basketball he officiated 40 State Tournament games with 10 championships, including the honor of working the final six-on-six championship in America. In addition to being an active official and prior to his assuming his current duties, for 18 years he was an IHSAA interpreter in football, basketball and baseball at rules meetings in the state.
In his position Mr. Barr specializes in the evaluation and tournament assignment of officials in football, basketball and baseball, and starting a series of statewide clinics in those sports to assist in the training and recruiting of new officials.
He is an active NFHS/NFOA member as well as active in the National Association of Sports Officials, where he has been a presentor at their National Meeting in 2011 and has editted articles in Referee magazine. Twice on behalf of the IHSAA, he has hosted the Mid-States Officiating Summit. He also administers the IHSAA golf and baseball programs.
His expertise in officiating has earned him numerous honors from the NFHS, coaching, and officials groups. He is a former member of the NFHS basketball rules committee and most recently accepted a four-year appointment to serve on the NFHS Officials’ Advisory Committee. In 2000 he was awarded the NFHS-NFOA Distinguished Officials Award for the Central Section. He has also been honored by numerous officiating halls of fame within the state.
A native of Anita, Legg came to the IHSAA in June 2001 after 35 years in public education as a teacher, counselor, and a coach of boys and girls athletics for 18 years at Oakland, South Hamilton and Ames. In addition, for nine years he was an Associate Principal and Activities Director at Ames High School.
In his 12 years with the IHSAA, his work has been highlighted with extensive work in compiling historical information on the IHSAA; researching and updating state meet information, historical archives, creating All-Time Best Lists and state records in each sport. He coordinates IHSAA press releases to the state’s media outlets and writes several articles for the IHSAA Bulletin.
He serves as the Association’s lead person on contacting potential NFHS Hall of Fame candidates as well as the state’s nominee for the Spirit of Sport Award. He participates in the selection of the featured Iowan on the IHSAA Sportsmanship-Citizenship poster, is the chair person of the IHSAA Hall of Fame Committees, and is the public address voice of IHSAA Awards Ceremonies at State Tournaments.
Nationally, he has been a presenter at three NFHS Summer Meeting conferences, served as a member of the NFHS Hall of Fame Screening Committee, which he currently chairs, and is a former member of the NFHS Hall of Fame Selection Committee.
As a head or assistant high school coach he had teams in seven different boys or girls state tournaments. Those teams made 21 appearances winning two state team titles and four runner-up finishes. He was a football official for 17 years, working 29 playoff games including a championship game. He also was a nine year softball umpire and rules interpreter for the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union, and was a State Tournament umpire for nine years including five championship games.
In the initial four years of the Central Iowa Metropolitan League, the state’s largest Class 4A alignment of 18 schools, he was their Commissioner assisting in decisions rendered by the Activities Directors and Principals. He was a member of the IGHSAU Board of Directors, a member of the founding group of the Iowa Coaches Association, and honored by several halls of fame recognizing coaches and officials.
Previous NFHS Citation Award winners from Iowa and their category include: State Association: David Harty, David Anderson and Alan Beste; Performing Arts: Everett Johnson, Weston Noble, Himie Voxman, Robert W. Dean, Frank Piersol, Gil Lettow, Myron Welch, Guy Blair and Leon Kuehner; Coaches: Ed Thomas; and Award of Merit: Lyle T. Quinn.