Candy Perez

Posted on September 1, 2008November 22, 2016

Sports opportunities for girls were limited when Candy was growing up in Torrington in the early 70’s. She played softball in the park and recreation Pigtail League and in intramural “six on six” basketball games. When volleyball was added as the first girls’ high school sport during her junior year, Candy was given the task of reading the rule book (how prophetic) and helping to organize the team. Torrington soon added girls’ teams in softball and basketball to their athletic program. Candy was a three-sport athlete by her senior year.

After graduating from high school, Candy pursued a degree in Physical Education at SCSC, which, at the time was the premiere state college for women’s sports. It was during her sophomore year at Southern that Candy began officiating volleyball. She officiated in the New Haven area during her collegiate years both at the high school and college level. After graduating from Southern in ’79, Candy accepted a teaching and coaching position at Canton High School and volleyball coaching position at her alma mater, Torrington High. She coached the Torrington varsity volleyball team for two years. She they returned to officiating on a full time basis.

Candy officiated at many of the schools in the northwestern part of the state. She had the privilege of officiating at some of the top schools at the time- Bristol Eastern, Holy Cross, Gilbert, Avon, Lewis Mills, Cheshire, and Naugatuck- and credits many of the coaches at those schools with making her a better official. As a member of the Connecticut Board of Volleyball Officials, Candy became the chairperson of the Board from 1980-92 and then again in ’95. She continues to serve as the scheduling coordinator for 30 schools in the northwestern part of the state, a position she has held since 1980. She has been involved in training and rating new officials, writing the CBVO’s original officials’ manual, and along with Barbara Startup, worked over time with the CIAC in officials’ contract negotiations and the new CAIO.

In 2000, Candy was inducted into the Torrington High School Athletic Hall of Fame and in ’06 she was named Connecticut Athletic Director of the Year by the National Assoc. for Sport and Physical Education. In 2007, she received the Merit Award from the CIAC Girls’ Basketball Committee and in 2008 she was inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of fame.

Candy is currently the principal of Northwestern Regional Middle School in Winsted and serves as Selectman in Winsted.

Vincent Buehler

Posted on September 1, 1999November 22, 2016

Vincent began his lifelong association with volleyball at the age of 16 when he started playing with the American Turners in New York City. At age 18 he became the player/coach for the Turners, a position he held for the next 15 years. During that time, his team competed in many USA Volleyball National Championships.

In 1970, Vincent became a regional referee in the Garden Empire in New York City for USA Volleyball. Two years later he earned his national rating for USAV. He was selected to referee at Madison Square Garden for the US National Team at an exhibition match.

Vincent moved to Connecticut in 1970 where he began his 28-year officiating career refereeing girls’ high school games. He contributed as a referee assignor for the Fairfield county area assigning 43 high schools. He also held the position as rules interpreter for that district.

He started the Fairfield County USA Jr. Olympic girls’ volleyball program and set up volleyball camps in Fairfield county for high school girls.

Vincent also game of his time as a volunteer for the Special Olympics World Games in New Haven and he served as the co-coordinator for the 3rd Annual Easter Seals Volleyball Marathon.

Vincent received awards from the town of Stratford for his time and donations to the sports programs in the schools. Most recently he was honored by the FCIAC when they named their league MVP aware after Vincent A. Buehler.

During his 42 years of participation in the sport of volleyball, it is believed that he played and officiated somewhere between 35,000 to 40,000 games.

Volleyball was his number one passion.

Fran Vandermeer

Posted on September 1, 1998November 22, 2016

Fran graduated from Bulkeley High School in Hartford and from Southern Connecticut State University, where she captained the Owls’ volleyball team. Formerly the head volleyball coach at Lewis Mills High School, Connecticut College and St. Joseph College, she is presently the head coach of the volleyball and softball teams at Trinity College.

Fran is well-known in Connecticut for her 23 years of volleyball officiating. She has officiated the CIAC girls’ and boys’ state championships in all divisions. On the college level, she has been officiating NCAA games including as a referee in the Women’s Division II final game in 1996 and 1997 and at the Men’s Division I Final Four as a line judge in 1995. Her other notable refereeing experience include the 1998 Nike World Master’s games in Portland, Oregon.

She has been a member of the A.B.O. National Rating Team (NRT) which rates candidates going for a national rating as well as the ABO National Training Team. working to train volleyball officials. Fran has worked as a high school and collegiate assigner for schools in Connecticut. Her other assigning duties have been as the America East assignor in 1996 and the 1995 Spacial Olympics World Games deputy commissioner for volleyball officials.