JRutledge ...

[BillyMac]

November December IAABO Sportorials Magazine

In this month’s issue, the Interpreter Spotlight shines on Chicago, IL, home to one of IAABO’s newest boards. Selected to lead as interpreter is Jeff Rutledge—a dedicated official who has given so much back to the officiating community. Working at multiple levels of basketball, Jeff still finds time to teach and train officials in Board 267. He takes special pride in his YouTube channel, Officiating Born Training, where he breaks down rules, debunks officiating myths, and shares training insights.

Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Jeff moved to Macomb, Illinois, at age four and lived there until his early twenties. His mother, who earned her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, was hired to lead the African American Studies Department at Western Illinois University. She later concluded her career there as a tenured full professor in the Sociology Department.

Jeff made the most of his time in Macomb, earning a degree in political science from Western Illinois University. As a “Leatherneck,” he began his officiating journey, inspired by legendary NFL official Jerry Markbreit. He went on to officiate football, baseball, softball, and, of course, basketball.By trade, Jeff works in financial services, selling life insurance and annuities to clients across multiple states. But his true passion is basketball—officiating and teaching the game to others.

He and his wife, Tonia, have been married since 2015. They share a stepson, Jabari, 17, and their son, Jeffery Amani, who is four.A man with plenty to say about basketball officiating, Jeff
graciously took time to share his experiences with IAABO for Sportorials

[BillyMac]

Sportorials: Can you describe the innovative approach you have taken with IAABO tools and what inspired it?
Jeff Rutledge: IAABO has just expanded my tools and training materials. I use them more and more as a basketball clinician with the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and it helps me with my understanding of rules and procedures that the IHSA also follows.

S: How has your use of IAABO tools improved your work as a secretary?
JR: Clarence Cooper is our secretary; he and I talk often about how we improve our training and how to use the materials we have to help officials learn the basics of basketball officiating.

S: What challenges have you faced when implementing these tools, and how did you overcome them
JR: The main one is getting others to think differently about what we are doing in our local official's associations and the training we can use for our entire state. We are just in the infancy of our IAABO journey in Illinois, starting up our new board in the last few years. So, getting others on board is
challenging.

S: Can you share a specific success story or achievement that resulted from your approach?
JR: In recent months we have exposed many veteran and newer officials to IAABO and the training materials. I get people coming to me all the time praising the information
and how Clarence and I used it. We started an online training session in our state back in August and we have had officials from all over the state participate with nearly 100 or so registering for our training. We have gotten the IHSA Head Clinician on board as well to assist in trying to make the IHSA Basketball Officials all on the same page.

S: How do you engage with members to ensure they benefit from the IAABO tools you are using?
JR: It’s a combination of our online training as well as using IAABO materials in multiple
presentations throughout the fall and summer.

S: Are there any IAABO tools or features you believe are underutilized but could make a big impact?
JR: I believe RQ+ is one of the most underutilized tools that people have available. IAABO University is also great, and the video rulebook is unmatched in teaching basic rules. We have so many great things people do not even know about.

S: What advice would you give to other interpreters/secretaries who want to make better use of IAABO tools?
JR: Cater things to your students or members. We have so many things that are great…you just have to find what works for the kind of person that is in front of you. Do not use it all at once. Ask for their feedback and see what they understand and do not understand. But do not stop teaching.

S: How do you stay current with the latest features and updates of IAABO resources?
JR: I actually use or watch RQ+ practically every day. I review every new video and find ways to implement those things into my current training sessions or planning for future training.

S: What feedback have you received from your peers or members about your innovative practices?
JR: Veterans come up to Clarence and me all the time and talk about how they wish we had this years ago when they started. Newer officials are very positively influenced as if they have found something they did not know was possible for them to understand.

S: What plans do you have to continue innovating or improving how you use IAABO tools?
JR: Our ultimate goal is to get a partnership with the IHSA and all the IHSA Rules Interpreters and Basketball Clinicians to promote IAABO and to grow our training board.

Jeff Rutledge’s forward-thinking leadership and passion for education are elevating Board
267 and setting a new standard for IAABO training across Illinois. As he continues to bridge local boards with statewide resources, the future of basketball officiating in the Land of Lincoln looks brighter—and better prepared—than ever.

[BillyMac]

Sharp looking bow tie!

They come runnin' just as fast as they can
'Cause every girl crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

The 2025-26 school year is Board #267's second year and I was very happy to see Jeff and his group become IAABO.

MTD, Sr.

[JRutledge]

I thought something had happened to me. LOL!!!

Thanks for the recognition. It was a cool honor to be asked to give some information.

Peace