Ismail Attallah of Valparaiso is the recipient of the 2013 Interscholastic Athletic Official Association Award for excellence in the sport of soccer. Ismail will be honored in a special ceremony at Saturday’s state final tournament.
Each year, the Indiana High School Athletic Association, in cooperation with the National Federation of Interscholastic Officials Association, recognizes and honors an outstanding official in each of 11 sports during the school year.
A member of the Calumet Athletic Officials Association, Ismail has served as an IHSAA rules interpreter and clinician for eight years. Throughout his 20 year officiating career, Ismail has refereed nine sectionals, four regionals, two semi-states, and two state finals (2008 and 2009).
Attallah was selected for this honor by a committee representing the official’s associations. In Indiana there are 26 associations made up of men and women who give up much of their personal time to assist in providing wholesome, worthwhile, and healthy activities for the student athletes in our state. Statewide, there are more than 8,000 officials licensed by the IHSAA in 11 sports.
Ismail is a 1976 graduate of Hawalli in Kuwait and a 1984 graduate of Indiana Tech where he earned a degree in civil engineering. He is a construction manager and engineer for AES Services in Chicago. Attallah and his wife of 20 years, Asma, have four children: Nadine (19), Jewan (16), Osaid (11) and Leen (7).