Former Atlantic Athletic Director and longtime Official in multiple sports Bob Sweeney has been inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s Officials Hall of Fame. Sweeney was honored in an on-field ceremony at Principal Park at the State Baseball Tournament Tuesday.  Sweeney was recognized for his 49 years of officiating, including 40 years working varsity baseball. The description below was the bio included in the 2017 State Baseball program.

“A native of Cylinder, he graduated from Emmetsburg in 1969 after the two schools merged following his freshman year. He earned 14 varsity letters in five sports, earning a variety of all-conference and all-state honors in football and basketball. 

He started umpiring baseball while still in high school working with veteran Ike Fogartry. While at Emmetsburg Junior College where he played basketball and baseball, he got his IHSAA official’s license in 1969 and worked sub-varsity games at Emmetsburg High School and also worked area basketball church tournaments with hall-of-fame official Dick Preston. 

He earned his undergraduate degree in Business Management and Education and his M.S. in School Administration each from Northwest Missouri State University. He has been a teacher, coach, or an administrator at Indianola, Charles City, Greene, Atlantic, and Shenandoah until retiring in 2015. An active professional he was honored with a hall of fame induction by the Iowa Association of High School Athletic Directors.

He curtailed his umpiring for nine years while coaching baseball at Indianola and Charles City where he also followed his daughter’s softball career. 

In his 49 years of officiating, he has worked varsity baseball 40 years. He also officiated football and basketball, primarily at the sub-varsity level and middle school level. 

His varsity résumé includes 37 years of post season baseball tournaments including 15 years at the State Tournament. Going into this season he has been on semifinals and championship contests five times. In addition, he has been assigned post season varsity softball tournaments and boys and girls basketball. 

He and his wife Kathy live in Atlantic and have raised three adult children-Kari, Kristi, and Kevin, who he introduced officiating in 1993. They enjoy seven grandchildren.”