2019 State Performance Program (SPP) Athlete Announcement
Basketball Queensland would like to congratulate the 6 QLD referees who have been selected to attend the Under 14 National Club Championships in Dandenong in October! This is an outstanding achievement, and a testament to their skills as referees, as officials were selected based on their performance over the last 12 months. We wanted to know a little bit more about our up and coming referees to find out how they started refereeing and what they are looking forward to most about attending Nationals!
Stay tuned for the next 3 referee profiles next week!
Will Leonard
Association: Redlands PCYC
Will has been refereeing for 7 years, and is excited to attend his first National Championships and learn from the referee coaches and other referees that will also be at the event. Having been involved with basketball from an early age, Will’s motivation to start refereeing stemmed not only from his passion for the game, but also having seen his Mum referee when they lived in Adelaide. Will would love to one day referee at the Olympic Games, however for now, is focussing his sights on refereeing at the QBL.
Will’s advice for anyone wanting to get involved with refereeing is: “It’s one of those things, you’ve got to get in there and stick with it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Whether you’re starting out or an experienced official – you can learn from everyone and everyone is there to help!”
Kathryn O’Brien
Association: Toowoomba Basketball Association
20-year-old Kathryn O’Brien began refereeing when she was 13, after she and some friends did a beginner’s referee course and loved the way it gave her something to work towards individually. When she initially started, Kathryn said she wouldn’t even make a call, however as her confidence and referee skills developed, she has learnt to anticipate what will happen next to ready herself for the situation. Through refereeing, Kathryn has officiated at Queensland league games, nationwide competitions and also internationally and is looking forward to applying and continuing to develop her skillset at the U14 Club Champs in October. Kathryn aspires to have a successful referee career and officiate at the NBL.
Ben Tierney
Association: Brisbane Basketball Incorporated
19-year-old Ben Tierney has also been selected to referee at the Under 14 National Club Championships. Ben first started refereeing 8 years ago, and was motivated by his love of basketball, and wanting to learn everything he could about the game. At the National Club Champs, Ben is hoping to continue learning more about the game, and also refereeing at a higher level. Within the next 3 – 5 years, Ben wants to officiate games at the QBL, and once he has achieved this, will aim to referee at an even higher level.
Ben’s favourite part of refereeing; “It’s like the gift that keeps on giving. You never stop learning new things about the game. The added bonus of always having one of the greatest seats in the house for the big games is pretty nice too!”
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