William Riccio, a sports official since 1972 in the New Haven area, has been selected the National Active Official of the Year by a committee of the National Federation of State High School Associations. The announcement was made in the NFHS Newsletter, published Dec. 2.
Riccio is currently the assigning commissioner of the Vincent J. Reilly-New Haven Football Officials Association, as well as being the football state interpreter for the Connecticut Football Officials Association, the umbrella group for all six assigning boards in the state, and the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, a post he has held since 2010. He has officiated football since 1974.
Besides football, he has been a member of the Greater New Haven Baseball Umpires Association since 1972, serving on several committees and umpiring many varsity and state playoff games in high school and American Legion. He was the Umpire-in=Chief of the West Haven Twilight League for 25 years.
He is a member of the CIAC Sportsmanship Committee as a representative of officials. The committee not only promotes sportsmanship, but also fosters good relations between coaches and officials.
The designation came as a complete shock to Riccio, one he never imagined.
“I knew the CIAC wanted information to put me in for an award, but I never expected to be named Official of the Year,” he said. “That was a real shocker.”
Officials from all 10 sections of the country are nominated for sectional awards. The committee then looks for one winner among the others for Official of the Year.
“I have been given many awards in my career, but I never expected one as prestigious as this. I am grateful to Dan Scavone, head of the CIAC Officials Association for nominating me, as well as all the officials, commissioners and mentors I have had in both sports, who helped me in every game,” he said.