Cindy Saling, Administrative Assistant at TVN-Newark, was inducted into the Ohio High School Athletic Association Officials Hall of Fame. Saling, a TVN staffer for five years, spent the last 35-plus years officiating volleyball, basketball and softball at junior high through college events. And in her spare time, she is heavily involved in local 4-H programs! "Keeping busy helps me stay young and it's good for my health," said Saling. "I'm not sure what I would do if I wasn't doing all this!" Before coming to TVN she worked with a smaller childcare agency housed inside the same Newark office. That agency became part of the TVN network. "Being a part of TVN is wonderful," said Saling. "A larger agency offers stability to the families and foster parents." Saling starred in three sports while at Sheridan High School. After graduation she planned to attend college and begin a path toward a coaching career. But life doesn't always go according to plan so she regrouped and began officiating. In 1996 she regrouped again after being diagnosed with lupus. "When you hear the words 'you have lupus' it's a startling thing. It can really bring you down," said Saling. "The disease doesn't go away it can only be maintained which is what I have done these 15 years. I don't let it get to me. I keep busy." Saling concentrated on volleyball after her diagnoses. From mid-August through state tournaments in November she can be found on the court - sometimes six days a week. While volleyball is mainly a women's sport there is a move to start men teams at the high school level - and yes, Saling officiates! She's heard the crowd yell the typical lines - "Are you blind! Can you see? Have you read the rule book?" After all these years it just rolls off her back. She has yellow-carded a few coaches but has never pulled the dreaded red card. "I really believe in preventive officiating," explained Saling, "I nip it in the bud and stop them before it starts. They understand they can't get away with it on my court." When asked if she ever steps into the officiating role at the office or at home Saling smiled and said, "I could definitely pull a yellow card sometimes but I haven't yet!" Saling took a short break from the childcare industry once, for six months where she tracked rental properties and sometimes traveled. While others thought that position was a dream job, she felt something was missing. "I missed not being a part of helping children," said Saling. "My children are grown and I have grandchildren but there's something about the excitement of new foster parents looking forward to their first foster child."
