Late Tom Robinson Named Recipient of CHSSUA’s Honorary Umpire Award

AURORA – A ceremonial first pitch is a longstanding ritual and an honor to be treasured. The person selected to kick off the Colorado High School Activities Association’s 2023 Softball State Championships is an honoree that the Colorado High School Umpires Association (CHSSUA) is extremely excited and privileged to recognize.

A humble man who strived for fair play and an even playing field for all, Tom Robinson was named the recipient of the 2023 Honorary Umpire Award. His son, Malik, accepted the award in honor of his late father and then threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Aurora Sports Park.

“This is a momentous occasion for us,” Kenny Rankin said, the President of CHSSUA. “Tom Robinson exemplifies everything that the Colorado High School Umpires Association stands for. When we voted on who to honor this year, it was a unanimous decision to honor Tom because of the things he’s accomplished – not only with CHSAA or the officials he’s worked with, but sports in general.”

A graduate of Regis Jesuit High School and a three-sport athlete at Colorado State University, Robinson got his professional career started in 1969 as a teacher at his former high school. He taught at Regis Jesuit for 31 years, while also serving as the varsity basketball coach for 10 years (1983-93), varsity golf coach (1993-95) and as an assistant coach in football, basketball and track (1969-83).

In addition to his teaching role, he also picked up officiating as a side job in the summer of 1969 and grew to become the president of the National Association of Sports Officials. In 2008, he was named the Nation’s Outstanding College Official by the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame and was a recipient of the John Adams Officiating Award.

From 1975-2000, he was a collegiate football official for the Western Athletic and Mountain West Conferences. He also worked various college football bowl games and served as a replay official in the west. Upon his retirement, he was given the Outstanding Service Award from the Mountain West Conference.

In 2001, Robinson became the first African American administrator in the history of CHSAA, where he spent 20 years overseeing officials, while also working with the sportsmanship program and boys and girls golf. He was the first administrator in CHSAA history to assign a female official to a boys basketball Final Four and he created a sporting behavior program that earned recognition from member schools based on the premise that fans should “Cheer for Your Team and Not Against Your Opponents.”

“The impact that Tom has had on all of our lives – not only as officials but as parents and students of the game – is indescribable,” Rankin said. “Whenever there was a problem, Tom always came up with a solution. His leadership helped us in recruiting officials and making sure that we knew what we were doing. He also helped us set standards and made sure that those standards were met. He amplified everything. He made us better.”

Robinson was married to Cleo Parker Robinson for 51 years. The duo founded her famed company – Cleo Parker Robinson Dance – in 1970, and they had one son, Malik. Robinson died of cancer in 2022 at the age of 76.

“At the end of the day, Tom has touched us all, in many ways,” Rankin said. “He remains in our heart and as a part of us.”

The Honorary Umpire Award is presented by CHSSUA in order to recognize longstanding individuals who have served the umpiring profession with distinction and who embody the spirit of the umpiring community with fellowship, goodwill, and a love of the game of softball.