2015 Women’s Center Circle Officials Award Winners Named
NEW CASTLE – The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame recognizes two men for their contribution as high school girls basketball officials as the 2015 Women’s Center Circle Officials Award winners.
Ray Tebbe of New Palestine and Phil Vidito of Indianapolis will be acknowledged for their officiating careers.
Ray Tebbe is a 1970 graduate of Batesville High School, where he was a three-year letterwinner in basketball and also participated in football, cross country and track. A 1974 graduate of Ball State University, he began his officiating career working intramural games at Ball State. Tebbe worked 11 girls basketball sectionals, eight regionals, five semi-states and three girls state finals (1990, 1992, and 1994) in addition to 29 sectionals, 24 regionals, 11 semi-states and six boys basketball state finals (1993, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2008 and 2011). He also has worked multiple girls and boys Hall of Fame Classic tournaments, as well as three IHSAA football state championship games.
A member of the Indiana Officials Association, he served as President, Vice President, a member of their Board of Directors and as chairman of their audit committee and was involved in rules interpretation, as a clinician and in the IOA mentoring program. In 2012, he received the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association’s prestigious Roy Gardner Award and previously received the IHSAA’s 1997 Outstanding Officials Award in boys basketball.
Tebbe has been employed as a manager of forecasting and planning for the Carrier Corporation in Indianapolis for over 34 years. Married to wife Denise, they have two children – Karen and Sara. Also involved in coaching CYO girls basketball and New Palestine youth softball, he resides in New Palestine.
Phil Vidito is a 1972 graduate of Boone County’s Thorntown High School, where he played basketball for four years while also competing in football, baseball, track and golf. A 1976 graduate of the University of Indianapolis with a degree in Chemistry, he has an extensive officiating career that began in 1975. Having worked 28 girls basketball sectionals, 20 regionals, 12 semi-states and four state finals (1995, 1998, 2001 and 2006), he has also worked 28 boys sectionals, 17 regionals, six semi-states and two boys state finals as well as the girls and boys Hall of Fame Classic.
Having served as President and Vice President of the Indiana Officials Association, he also spent four years with basketball rules interpretation, three years as a basketball clinician and has worked for several years in mentoring young officials. In 2014, he received the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association’s prestigious Mildred Ball Award for girls basketball officials.
Vidito umpired Little League baseball for 39 years, coached his children in Franklin Township baseball and basketball leagues, and served on the boards for the Franklin Township Little League (1988-99) and the Franklin Township Youth Football League (1989-91). He was president of the Franklin Township Little League from 1992-99.
Vidito worked for RCA/Thompson from 1976 through 2002, before finishing his career with Metro Plastics in Noblesville. Married for more than 40 years to wife Diamond, they have two children – Nicole and Nathan.
Center Circle Officials Award winners will be honored at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s 14th Annual Women’s Banquet on Saturday, April 25, 2015.
The ceremony will take place at the Primo Banquet Hall, which is located on the south side of Indianapolis.
A midday reception, free and open to the public, will be held at the Hall of Fame museum in New Castle. The evening banquet will take place at the Primo Banquet Hall, which is located on the south side of Indianapolis.
Reservations are available online now and tickets for the banquet will be made available in 2015. Call the Hall at 765-529-1891 or visit www.hoopshall.com for more information or email info@hoopshall.com.