Steve Dalberth's knowledge of the wrestling rule book has been called "mind boggling." According to many, give him a rule and he's able to recite the number, section and even the page number it is on from memory. That's no accident. After completing his four-year varsity wrestling career in high school, Steve felt there weren't many options for continuing in the sport as a competitor. However, he saw another interesting path. "My math teacher was a referee and it looked like so much fun," Steve said. "I thought becoming an official would be a good way to keep participating in the sport I loved." He went "all in" right away. The top rated referee in Section V [Tom Trout] lived in the same town, so Steve traveled with him to meetings and soaked up as much knowledge as he could. "I definitely used [Trout] as a sounding board," Steve said. "He was incredibly knowledgeable and I took every opportunity to learn from him." In addition, on his 45 minute commute each day to work, Steve read the rule book because, "I assumed at the time that every referee memorized the rule book, so I was determined to do it too." Steve's proficiency was recognized right away. He was selected as the top ranked official in Section V eleven times, and earned the top referee honors at the NYSPHSAA championships in 1991. He worked at the New York State tournament four times and was ranked as one of the best four officials on each occasion. In 1993, Steve took on additional responsibilities as the NYS Rules Interpreter when Lon Covan retired. "Lon had tremendous knowledge of the rules," Steve said. "He was well spoken and conveyed information well without talking over your head. I wanted to follow in his footsteps." He has. Joe Alvarez, Former WOA President, said, "Steve has a wealth of understanding of the rules and he explains them with clarity and a visual understanding that anyone can understand." In his role, Steve attends the National Federation Rules meeting annually, prepares folders of rule changes and interpretations for each of New York's sections, edits the NYS Rules Interpretation Handbook ("The Green Book") every two years (beginning in 1994), conducts rules clinics in every corner of the state, and produces comprehensive informational videos on rules to be used by officials. For decades he's also been known for dedicating time to training new referees. As Alvarez said, "Steve has developed many good young officials into outstanding officials." Not only has Steve excelled at interpreting and explaining the rule book, he changed it in an impactful way. He submitted a proposal a few years ago that allows a competitor to secure a pin or earn near fall while the defensive wrestler's shoulders or scapula are outside the boundary line. Steve's proposal was accepted and implemented nationwide for the 2016-17 season. "It's one of my major accomplishments," Steve said. "It opened up wrestling on the boundary line and a lot more scoring has taken place in that area. I was happy that it was accepted and I'm happy with the way high school wrestling has changed as a result." Although he moved to South Carolina a few years ago, Steve continues to impact New York wrestling. He flies back to the Empire State three times a year to participate in the Dual Meet and Individual State championships and to lead the fall meeting to explain rule changes. Throughout the year, he spends significant time on calls, texts, and emails, talking to officials about questions and interpretations. But that's not all. He also significantly contributes to the sport in his new home. Steve is currently a Manager at Joel's Floor Covering (he's been in the flooring business for more than 40 years), but he also serves as an assistant varsity coach at Greenwood High School and evaluates officials in his "free time" to help the South Carolina Officials Association with the selection process for the State tournament. Steve said he and his wife Dawn were inspired to move South by their children, Nicole and Colton, who live in the area. "I was missing my children," Steve said. "And now I have two grandchildren, so I had to be close." He said his family played a key role in his wrestling success. Colton was a two-time NYS finalist for Marion Central as well as a three-time Freestyle and Greco state champ in New York, where he was coached by his father. "It was incredibly rewarding to coach my son," Steve said. "We spent so much quality time together." In addition, Nicole wrestled for about a year and did the videography for the Marion Central team, while Dawn "has been instrumental. She does all the typing for things like the Green Book. I really have to thank her for all the hours she put in on wrestling over the years." Steve also mentioned the contributions of the "very knowledgeable and incredibly ethical" Frank Marotta, whose opinions on the Green Book content and grammar are essential. When asked about what makes a great official, Steve said, "You have to have the right temperament. It's important to separate emotion from your responsibilities as a referee. You also have to be a master of the rules with a desire to constantly improve and learn more." There's no question that Steve has all those traits. His list of achievements is long, including National Federation Official of the Year (2003), NYSWOA Officials Award (2012), Terry Justice Memorial Award for Contributions to Section V Wrestling (2015), Section V Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee (2015), and Life Member of WOA of Section V (2018). Now, it's time to add another honor recognizing Steve's outstanding contributions. The Upstate New York Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame is excited to welcome Steve Dalberth into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and present him with the well deserved Lifetime Service Award.