For officials by officials. We are all in this together. Without us, there would be no game.
Respect The Ref was formed as a private Facebook group in 2011 as a way for sports officials to connect with each other. It became an LLC in 2019 to promote the positive influence officials have on sports. Founder and Owner, John Mandula, has been an OHSAA certified basketball official for 19 years, OHSAA certified football official for 17 years, and USA Adult Softball Slow Pitch certified umpire for 18 years. In his career, he has officiated 3 State Championship football games and 1 State Championship basketball game. John is the Supervisor of Officials for Lakewood Recreation. He assigns basketball for the Great Lakes Conference (GLC). He assigns youth basketball for numerous communities in the Cleveland area including Brecksville, Brookyln, Fairview, Lakewood, Medina, Middleburg Heights, North Olmsted, Strongsville, Valleyview, Westlake. He also assigns youth football for the Little Southwest Football Conference (LSWFC). John holds a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Sports Management from Cleveland State University.
Our Mission
Our Mission at Respect The Ref is simple. Recruit, Retain, Recognize. We strive to Recruit new officials, Retain current officials, and Recognize officials for their outstanding service to the game.