The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to announce that Gordon Corsetti (right) will serve as its keynote speaker at the 2022 IHSA Officials Conference.
The 2022 IHSA Officials Conference will be held on July 8-9 at Normal Community West High School in Normal. Corsetti is slated to highlight the conference’s opening session at 7:00 PM on July 8.
Corsetti is a nationally acclaimed speaker and accomplished lacrosse official who owns and operates Mental Agility, a mental health and wellness website that features blog posts, workshops, resources, and speaking engagements led by Corsetti.
“Mental health and wellness is obviously a very topical issue given all that we have endured over the past few years,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “We are excited to welcome Gordon to shed further light on these issues with his unique style. The fact that he is a respected official and will be able to connect and provide further perspective to our audience is an added bonus.”
Corsetti, who resides in Georgia, sums up Mental Agility on the website by saying, “I live with clinical depression and generalized anxiety disorder. I suffered for years until I learned how to attack my depressed thoughts and gain mastery over them. Now, I share methods to help those with and without mental illness live more fulfilling lives. Through public speaking engagements and workshops, I teach breath work, body awareness, mindfulness, meditation, and how to remain calm and grounded in any situation.”
The 2022 IHSA Officials Conference agenda, including a list of all sessions and speakers will be posted on IHSA.org soon. However, another speaker who is already confirmed to present in July is NFHS Director of Officiating Services, Dana Pappas (left). Pappas will speak on Title IX and the recruitment and mentoring of officials.
“It is no secret that we are struggling to attract and retain officials right now, so we are eager to welcome Dana and hear her national perspective on this issue,” said IHSA Assistant Executive Director Sam Knox, who oversees the IHSA Officials Department and has officiated IHSA baseball and basketball for over 25 years. “Being able to improve as officials, as people, and to exchange ideas on important topics is what this conference is all about.”
The IHSA Officials Conference annually draws over 700 attendees, as officials from around the state gather to collaborate in general and sport-specific officiating workshop sessions. In addition, they share firsthand experiences to better prepare fellow officials, while also enjoying a variety of networking activities.
Conference registration will open on May 1.