Longtime Baldwin resident and AHSAA soccer program veteran Joe Manjone receives national honor for officiating

AHSAA.com
Posted 7/9/18

Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) soccer official Joe Manjone, a veteran of more than 50 years of service to the sport worldwide, was honored Sunday at the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) 99th Summer Meeting as the 2018 Citation Award recipient for Officiating. Manjone, of Fairhope, was ...

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Longtime Baldwin resident and AHSAA soccer program veteran Joe Manjone receives national honor for officiating

Posted

CHICAGO – Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) soccer official Joe Manjone, a veteran of more than 50 years of service to the sport worldwide, was honored Sunday at the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) 99th Summer Meeting as the 2018 Citation Award recipient for Officiating.
Manjone, of Fairhope, was on hand at the luncheon held at the Chicago Downtown Hyatt Hotel to receive the award presented annually to only one contest official nationally. The NFHS also presented eight Citations, one in each of the NFHS’s eight sections, to individuals who made contributions to the NFHS, state high school associations, coaching, officiating and performance arts.

Manjone, who began officiating soccer as a teenager, has been involved in the sport of soccer as an official and administrator for most of his adult life. His influence in the sport has been has been far reaching – spanning the nation and two continents.
In Alabama, his service stretches over more than 30 years. The AHSAA Soccer Director and former National Federation of State High Schools Association (NFHS) Soccer Rules Committee Chair has served the AHSAA in numerous soccer roles from officiating to rules interpreter.

“Not only has Joe always been an outstanding official, officiating other sports besides soccer, but also he has been a dedicated professional and a true credit to this Association,” said AHSAA Executive Director Steve Savarese.
Manjone ’s contributions have not gone unnoticed. He was recently named the recipient of the NFHS’s prestigious Citation for Officials for 2017, which is presented annually to only one contest official nationwide.
“Among Joe’s prestigious accomplishments is the AHSAA Distinguished Service Award for service as an official,” Savarese said. “His greatest contribution has been his outstanding leadership exemplified to officials statewide while maintaining the relevance of high school athletics. He is a great ambassador for this Association and the entire Alabama high school sports community.”
A native of Hazelton, Pennsylvania, Manjone attended Black Creek Township High School, graduating in 1959.
He attended Penn State University, graduating in 1963 with a bachelor’s degree. He later earned additional education degrees from the University of Georgia and Penn State. He was inducted into the NISOA Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Manjone is the ninth AHSAA representative to receive the NFHS Citation and the third contest official. Others include:

1992 – Herman L. “Bubba” Scott (NFHS Award of Merit)*
2000 – Ken Blankenship (NFHS Coach Citation)
2006 – Greg Brewer (NFHS State Association Citation)
2010 – Houston Young (NFHS Officials Citation)
2011 – Alan Mitchell (NFHS State Association Citation)
2014 – Jeff Hilyer (NFHS Officials Citation)
2015 – Wanda Gilliland (NFHS State Association Citation)
2016 – Richard Robertson (NFHS Coach Citation)
2018 – Joe Mangone (NFHS Officials Citation)

*-This special award is presented to special individuals who major a lasting impact on the NFHS and all its member schools. Recipients have included former President Gerald R. Ford, former Major League Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, former NCAA Executive Directors Walter Byars and Myles Brand. This award is not presented annually.