In Memoriam: Ralph Baldelli.

Ralph Baldelli passed away on Wednesday, December 11, 2024. He was a proud graduate of Danbury High School, and often claimed that he bled blue and orange. He was a member of the F.C.I.A.C. Champion High School football team of 1976 and was inducted into the Danbury High School Hall of Fame in 2022. Ralph was a basketball coach at Danbury High School, New Fairfield High School, and Ridgefield High School while also coaching his children's youth basketball teams.

His proudest accomplishment was founding the Western Connecticut Lacrosse Officials Association in 2007. Ralph has assigned and officiated all hundreds of High School Lacrosse games throughout the years.

His involvement in lacrosse began in the late 80's. He worked as the first varsity coach of New Fairfield High School and became an official shortly after. Ralph also coached both youth boys and girls lacrosse in New Fairfield.   Ralph was proud of the fact that he was able to be a participant in what were his words, “the greatest lacrosse in the country."

Ralph's impact on the development of lacrosse in Connecticut has been significant. When his illness sidelined him, he began watching and evaluating his officials to assist them in improving their skills. This past year, Ralph was named NILC Man of the Year and Official of the Year for the work he has done on the lacrosse field. He will be inducted into the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame Connecticut Chapter, as an elected official in January of 2025.  

The Western Connecticut Lacrosse Officials Association is an organization which services high schools, private schools, club, and youth leagues. We are primarily responsible for providing lacrosse officials in the following counties: Fairfield County, New Haven County and Litchfield County in Connecticut, also Putnam County New York.

The WCLOA as it is known was founded in 2007 and is a proud member of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Officials Association. 

We are over 100 members strong, we continue to recruit and train highly motivated prospects. The WCLOA currently provides professionally trained seasoned officials. WCLOA officials are certified in NCAA, NFHS, ILF and US Lacrosse youth lacrosse rules.

The WCLOA is a progressive officials association. Our new website along with Arbiter Sports for game assignments makes the WCLOA an accessible officiating organization in the state of Connecticut and parts of New York.

Explore our website and feel free to contact any of our Executive Board members.