Recently, I completed my beginners referee course for basketball WA. I completed the four hour course at Willetton basketball stadium. The course included all participants receiving their green shirt, referee approved whistle, a rule book and a work book to complete during the day. The day involved both an on court aspect and an off court aspect. The off court aspect included participants completing the workbook, as well as learning hand signals. The on court aspect allowed us to practice what we had learnt in a realistic situation. The course was a fantastic experience, it taught me a deeper understanding and appreciation for the people who enforce the rules of the great game of basketball.

As anyone who plays a sport would know, referees can be the make or break point of a game, and it is easy to get frustrated or even angry at the ref’s. Sometimes we forget that they are just as human as we are and they make mistakes too. This course helped me appreciate how hard their job is, how much they have to remember and enforce, and how difficult it is to be under constant scrutiny with every decision you make. As well as now being qualified to be a “green shirt ref”, this course has also improved my personal basketball skills, as now I know what referee’s look for when games are being played and I have a better understanding of the rules.

This was a great opportunity and a great experience and I would highly recommend trying a course to any athletes of any sport. It may seem daunting, doing a four (or more) hour course with people you don’t know, but it isn’t as daunting as it seems and, it is beneficial to your personal understanding of the sport, your development in the sport, and overall will boost your respect for the referee’s that without, we wouldn’t have a game!