Battlefields to Ballfields

04/08/2026

April is Stress Awareness Month.

Veterans understand pressure and how to perform under it. Those same skills translate directly to officiating: staying calm, making quick decisions, and leading with confidence.

Every game is an opportunity to apply discipline, focus, and control, on and off the field.

Pressure doesn’t break leaders. It reveals them.

04/08/2026

Jimmy DeBell brings elite-level officiating experience to Battlefields to Ballfields.

A longtime college official and NFL side judge (2009–2014), Jimmy earned a postseason assignment in each of his six NFL seasons. His experience spans the ECAC Patriot League, Atlantic 10, Big East, Conference USA, Arena Football League, and NFL Europe.

Today, he specializes in officiating training and development, helping prepare the next generation of officials with the same standards of excellence he lived on the field.

Experience. Precision. Leadership.

04/02/2026

From our founder Mike Pereira:
It is with great sadness that I inform you that we have lost one of our board members, Barry Mano. Although he resigned from the board just recently, I will never, not now or ever, call him a former board member. He will live on with us forever. As you can see from the release below, he was an icon in the industry. I truly believe that no single person has had such a profound positive effect on officiating. He cared just as much about a person officiating their very first game on the youth level as he did about the person stepping on the court to referee the NBA finals. I will miss everything about him. Please keep his family and everyone who works at NASO in your thoughts.

04/01/2026

“It has been said, if you want to get back on the field after your playing days, be an official.”

Bradley Bock, a Marine Corps and Army National Guard veteran, found a new way to serve through football officiating. As a member of the New Mexico Officials Association, he has expanded into volleyball and baseball — staying active, engaged, and connected to his community.

With support from Battlefields to Ballfields, including a personal call from Mike Pereira, Bradley has quickly advanced through the ranks.

Today, he spends his weekends giving back and ensuring sports remain relevant and well-officiated, especially during nationwide shortages.

His proudest moment? After a championship game, a parent from the losing team shook his hand and said he was the best official they’d seen all season.

“That sense of pride and accomplishment reminds me of serving my country.”

Service continues. Just on a different field.

03/29/2026

March 29 marks National Vietnam War Veterans Day.

We honor the courage and resilience of those who served during the Vietnam War. Your leadership continues to shape communities across generations.

Through officiating, many veterans continue serving: guiding the next generation with integrity and discipline.

Thank you for your service, then and now.

03/25/2026

We proudly recognize the women who have served our country and those now leading in sports officiating and community impact.

Leadership has no limits.
Opportunity has no boundaries.
And the field is open to those ready to serve again.
Highlighting B2B Scholarship Recipient Misty Rye, Marine Corps Veteran and softball official.

03/14/2026

B2B and Mike Pereira will be there! Stop by our booth
NASO Referee Magazine

Registration for the 2026 Sports Officiating Summit is now open! https://app.clearevent.com/eventPortal /59604817-ac58-488c-83f6-7262ae0fe934/register

03/10/2026

The skills built through service don’t disappear: they evolve. Leadership, discipline, teamwork, and resilience continue to make an impact long after military life.

Through officiating, veterans stay connected, stay active and continue serving their communities in a new way.

A new field. The same purpose.

03/04/2026

Robert Rivinius brings more than 30 years of executive leadership and advocacy experience to the B2B board. As former President & CEO of the California Building Industry Association and a respected voice in state policy, Robert has spent his career strengthening organizations and communities.

His long history of service, including leadership roles across major associations and nonprofits, reflects a lifelong commitment to impact: the same commitment he brings to supporting our veterans.