#16 Guthrie, #74 Blair, #23 Maddox Referees gearing up for return to NBA games, too, Like teams, NBA refs have new health, safety protocols, NBA denies Dallas Mavericks' protest, fines Mavs owner Mark Cuban $500K, Assistant coaches program helps former players become future coaches, Warriors' Green ejected from Game 2 for flagrant foul, Jackson Jr. named Kia Defensive Player of the Year, Interactive Stats Visuals for Kia DPOY Finalists, Ties broken for order of selection in '23 NBA Draft. They can be a team's hero or their greatest nightmare, depending on the night's call. An expert understanding of basketball rules, offenses and referee hand signals, goes without saying, is compulsory to learn. "This isn't, 'Let's go out and do social work,'" Monty McCutchen, NBA's vice president of referee development and training, said. Jelks describes people telling her that their daughters tune into NBA games she works and won't even focus on the players; their eyes only on her. Its so important for them to see someone that looks like them in a position that they may have thought wasnt attainable, she said. So my patience level went from zero patience before teaching to a hundred thousand percent because you really have to learn how to be a good communicator when you are an urban educator. We are pleased to welcome Simone, Suyash and Andy to our full-time staff, said McCutchen. Highest Paid NBA Commentators 2022 (All Current Salaries). What advice does she have for aspiring referees? 2. An NBA referee needs to be confident, stern, smart, and aware to make a call in a high-pressure environment with 20,000 fans cheering or booing at them. Each team in the league plays 82 regular-season games over that period. . Not bad for somebody in a Foot Locker costume. Even looking back a decade ago demonstrates the exponential growth of referee salaries. They also have to stand for long periods throughout games. There is no such thing as officiating a perfect game. As of March 2022, 42 percent of NBA G-League refs are women. NBA G League officials Simone Jelks, Suyash Mehta and Andy Nagy have been promoted to full-time NBA referee status. She also worked 16 regular-season NBA games as a non-staff official during the 2019-20 season. To that effect, there have been real efforts toward promoting equality and diversity within the officiating ranks, the sort that may not make headlines but truly advance a progressive agenda. She also worked 16 regular-season NBA games as a non-staff official during the 2019-20 season. When I was refereeing womens college basketball, I really wasnt thinking, Hey, I want to be an NBA ref. It was just like, Hey, I want to be the best ref I can be in womens basketball. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Who is female NBA referee? "Did I hear it? Besides, the amount increases as the games level up. Referees need to run, backpedal ,and lean over throughout basketball games, to stay with the ball and accordingly make quick calls. And that prepared me significantly for officiating in the NBA. Jelks graduated from the University of Southern California in 2008. Simone Jelks (Cleveland, Ohio) has officiated three seasons in the NBA G League. An underrated aspect of a referee is the physical fitness that they need to maintain during a game. Playing a crucial role in every game, the NBA referees do more than enforce the rule book. I just wanted to be the best referee I could be.. NBA G League referees Simone Jelks, Suyash Mehta and Andy Nagy have been promoted to full-time NBA staff officials, it was announced today by Monty McCutchen, NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Referee Development and Training. Jelks becomes the seventh female full-time ref in NBA history, with the current five preceded by Dee Kantner and Violet Palmer. "Her advice is . [2] As of the 202021 NBA season Jelks has officiated 49 regular-season games, including 16 regular-season games as a non-staff official during the 201920 NBA season. ET. [1] While attending Charles F. Brush High School Jelks became the school's career leader in points, steals, rebounds and free throws. Your last non-refereeing job was as a teacher at Ginn Academy in Cleveland, which is an all-boys public high school. Sago officiated four seasons in the NBA G League and three seasons in the WNBA. Please logout and login again. There is no consensus answer to how much money NBA referees are paid by the league. The benefits of playing quarters in basketball. He worked 13 NBA regular-season games as a non-staff official during the 2019-20 season. I think we have a lot of young talent coming up, and I think the league is in a good place.. And every time that Ive reached out to her, shes given me nothing but just honesty and transparency. I had to observe, I had to just understand, OK, what is it today that is preventing this young man from doing his work in the classroom? And every student is different. "Dee did it in a day where I'm sure she didn't have that support.". Simone Jelks, the first Black woman hired in this role since Palmer herself, was also one of several women to attend Palmer's yearly refereeing camps before reaching the NBA level (such camps are . Simone Jelks: From womens hoops star to NBA referee. Mehtas parents are from India and moved to the United States in the 1980s. . Holtkamp-Sterling has become a big sister figure to the other women in the program. An Ohio native, Jelks played college basketball at the University of . Brooklyn Nets 123-95 Boston Celtics: Twitter goes berserk as Kevin Durant steals Christmas from Tatum and co. (sportskeeda.com). Jelks, the only African American woman who is currently a full-time ref in the league, talks about her unique career path. Since then, Ashley has officiated more than 120 . Simone Jelks . Young women shouldn't have to look at officiating, or so many other traditionally male-dominated professions, as rarified air for only the chosen few. we will inform you about the per match fees as well as the annual salaries of the Highest Paid NBA Referees 2022 (+All Salary). It stuck for good, always as a term of endearment. Simone Jelks, Jenna Schroeder, Danielle Scott and Holtkamp-Sterling (married to fellow NBA ref Jonathan Sterling). Your login session has expired. The league is ahead of its peers here, although progress must be viewed relatively. Both entered the league fully in 1997, and Palmer, now 56, got the honor of making history when she donned the whistle for a late October game that year. Your email address will not be published. NBA Referee # 81. Schroeder said she'd love to see her daughter take up officiating when she grows up -- although she joked her wife, Anderson, may represent the more lucrative career path as a physician. The requirements for NBA referee candidates has been outlined in the NBA officials website. A published author, a former professional basketball player, and now a full-time NBA official. In 2017, the NBRA expanded to include officials for the G League and WNBA. margin, W/L and more. She also won the 2002 WKYC Channel 3 Leadership Award. How much are refs paid in the NBA? When we see one referee get some type of accolade, we highlight it on our pages on social media. December 23, 2020 8:13 AM. How does she balance her work and personal life? -. Can something go right in my life? I dont know if the NBA is going to be starting again [due to the pandemic]. Strides are being made, even if we're still talking about small percentages of the overall population and more work is clearly needed. Jelks, who is from Richmond, Virginia, went on to play college basketball at James Madison University. While at Brush, Jelks completed her career as the school's boys and girls career scoring leader with 1,397 points. After high school, candidates need to register with The National College Athletic Association (NCAA) to officiate college basketball. She is a former NBA basketball player with multiple talents as an author and athlete, and now a full-time paid NBA official. Heres a comparison -. After college, she played professionally in Puerto Rico and Croatia. Your guide to all the 2023 Women's World Cup stadiums, with photos, WNBA draft grades: Fever, Lynx score top marks, Stars react to the WNBA draft's top picks, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The setting was a local recreation center in her home state of Missouri, where she'd previously played four years of college basketball at Drury University before becoming a referee. FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2020, file photo, referee Simone Jelks gestures during the second half of an NBA basketball game between the Miami Heat and the Portland Trail Blazers in Miami. Several of the full-timers are close friends off the court. Most notably, then-Celtics broadcaster Cedric Maxwell used a stunningly offensive "get back in the kitchen" line for a game Palmer was officiating in 2007 (Maxwell would later apologize). And after the first one, they sent me an email saying, You progressed to the second tryout. After the second tryout, they said, You progressed to the third tryout. Final tryout, my luggage got lost in the airline and I went to the Mens Wearhouse, bought some [black] mens dress pants, cut the belt loops off. "She did it way before all of us, before the world we live in now that's all accepting," Moyer-Gleich said of Kantner. Excellent interpersonal communication allows referees to adjust their communication while speaking to a player, coach or another official. I got you. Localizacin. As the buzzer sounded, the father of one of the boys in the game approached and accosted her over her gender. The former USC player has also worked games in the G League for the last three seasons. 2023 ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. The pros and cons of, Read More Which is Better for Basketball, Halves or Quarters?Continue. "There's no reason why we shouldn't have more women as officials, coaches and basketball executives in our league," Silver said. One needs to pass a background check and complete an interview to qualify to become a high school referee along with a basketball rule test at times. "Being able to see myself in them -- they trailblazed that.". They are - Natalie Sago, Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Simone Jelks, Dannica Mosher, Jenna Schroeder and Danielle Scott. When it comes to mentors within the officiating world, though, it all comes back to the paths forged before them. The initiative is one that comes straight from the top of the NBA hierarchy. And when youre a former athlete, youre really competitive with yourself. Give yourself permission to work, to make mistakes, to grow. While Palmer and Kantner are no longer working for the NBA, their legacies live on. She has three years of collegiate officiating experience, with stints in the Mid-American Conference and Horizon League. As of 2022, the average annual salary for an NBA referee ranges from $180,000 to $500,000, depending on experience, job title and the level of the game itself. This includes calling fouls, monitoring player and coach behavior, and managing the flow of the game. But she viewed the NBA as a challenge to conquer, plus she took comfort in the fact that at the time, NBA mechanics were actually pretty similar to those she was used to at the women's college level. When I was telling them, Guys, just work hard, do the right things, be patient. I kind of see some of the things I was talking about with them coming into fruition. It'll just be the norm. Simone Jelks was one of three referees promoted to full-time status by the NBA on Wednesday, making her the fifth woman on the current lineup of officials. Simone Jelks. What are some of the challenges she faces? James Capers, Sean Corbin, Tony Brothers, Rodney Mott, Scott Foster, Ken Mauer, Pat Fraher, Tom Washington and Marc Davis are currently the highest paid NBA referees. My first game was a preseason game and it was the first NBA game [Oct. 5, 2019] at the new Chase Center [in San Francisco] between the [Los Angeles] Lakers and Golden State [Warriors]. Top 5 NBA female referees in the game today 1) Lauren Holtkamp. "I see little girls sitting courtside, parents asking me to take a picture with their little daughter," Moyer-Gleich said. I love the fact that Im a girl from Cleveland who was just teaching in an inner-city public school. Within several years, for the 2014-15 season, Holtkamp-Sterling would become the first woman hired as a full-time NBA official in nearly two decades. It was really cool because our assigner at the time assigned me to do a couple of the Lakers scrimmages before the actual game. FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2020, file photo, referee Simone Jelks gestures during the second half of an NBA basketball game between the Miami Heat and the Portland Trail Blazers in Miami. JAYLAND WALKER LIVE BLOG: Protesters gather in downtown Akron following grand jury decision, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost releases evidence from Jayland Walker grand jury, 'Unhealthy' conditions trigger Air Quality Alert in multiple Northeast Ohio counties, One on One: A Gentleman's Guide to Dating Ambitious Women, Boss Ladies of CLE: Vitamix CEO Jodi Berg. I also try to get enough sleep.. Last week, Jelks was one of three referees promoted to full-time status by the NBA, making her the fifth woman on the current lineup of officials. University of Missouri-St. Louis '13. Per Game Ref Stats. That doesn't bother me, because we're all just referees and we have to be able to co-mingle. These goals are attainable now in ways they just couldn't have been even a generation prior. Every player doesnt react the same way or respond the same way to criticism. Jelks, who is married with two teenage daughters, said she tries to keep a balance between her work and personal life. Some nights you cant sleep well, and you go back [mentally to the game] and you get so mad. "Once [my peers] saw that I was about the business and the work and wanting to learn the craft, they were more than willing to open themselves up to teach me.". Today, there are a total of five full-time women NBA referees, an all-time league high. I would love for you guys to be a part of it.' "She'll always say, if I did it, you can do it. By recommendations from their superiors, some NBA G League referees have the opportunity to be promoted to the NBA. Theres a select group of referees who have even earned some degree of celebrity status, frequenting playoff games and even leading some fans to speculate about potential disputes or issues they have with players and coaches. The call couldn't have come at a better time for Jelks. In 2015, she was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. Simone Jelks is the first female referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA). This page is not available in other languages. Palmer, the NBAs first African American female referee, officiated 919 games and became the first woman to referee an NBA playoff game in 2006 before retiring in 2016. Other projections put the base salary for new referees somewhere around $250,000. The book was designed to give men "key skills to improve your overall game. In March 2015, the NBA began issuing Last Two Minutes reports that detail the performance of referees at the ends of games which the . Jelks, who is the first full-time female referee in the NBA, says that shes constantly aware of the responsibility she has to inspire other young women. Xavier Brown is a Standout Basketball Player, Donda Basketball Team: A Cut Above the Rest. Just as meaningful, though, is the broader support structure that's been created. Official Simone Jelks reacts during a preseason game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Orlando Magic at the Smoothie King Center on October. The NBA has made significant alterations since Palmer and Kantner's day, where the league would have to improvise a makeshift women's locker room in arenas that weren't prepared for them. I try not to take my work home with me, but its not always easy, she said. She is also known for being one of the most accessible officials, often taking the time to interact with fans before and after games. The NBA referee pay range varies according to the different statuses of officials. I thought that was awesome. November 4, 2019. Jelks earned a masters degree in Public Health at Case Western Reserve University and a masters degree in Urban Secondary Teaching from Cleveland State University. ", Editor's Note: The below story aired on December 16, 2020, Example video title will go here for this video. ", How Monica Puig finds post-tennis fulfillment, 26.2 miles at a time, USWNT's Ertz signs 1-year deal with Angel City, Obiri wins Boston women's race in 2nd marathon, D. Johnson leaves NC State, enters transfer portal, Sun Belt POY Jefferson commits to Louisville, OU's Storako taken 1st overall in pro softball draft, Lady Vols extend Harper through '27-28 season, Trans athlete deemed ineligible to play in NBL1, 2023 NCAA gymnastics championships: Oklahoma repeats and Trinity Thomas ties record, Tracking Trinity Thomas' journey to tying the perfect 10 record, The top 35 women's college basketball players in the transfer portal. And as the first to reach this plateau since, she's turned around and served a similarly important role for those following her. "And it's even better when the things they see are possible look like them.". We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. The entry-level referee is looked at as a rookie, and they make around $600 for each game they are a part of or about $250,000 a year if they are full-time. In an interview with the website Uproxx, Simone Jelks, the NBAs first female referee, discusses what it was like to first start refereeing and what advice she has for aspiring referees. Entry-level referees are on the lower end of that scale and receive larger paydays the longer they are in the league. What could have been for Melvin Booker? Why was he once considered a star? Being an NBA referee is a harder job than many people think, no matter how many fans believe they could do a better job or that their "grandma could have made a better call." Holtkamp-Sterling, now 40, had just finished officiating a youth boy's game as the solo referee. While NBA officials dont have nine-figure deals like some of the players they are calling fouls on, they still get sizable checks for patrolling games. With such a demanding job, how does she stay fit and healthy? Simone Jelks (Cleveland, Ohio) has officiated three seasons in the NBA G League. Salaries Salaries; Odds Odds; Awards Awards; Jelks now 7th woman to be full-time NBA ref. Back then, Palmer hardly had time to consider the significance of her accomplishment. So I was on an emotional roller-coaster ride thinking, Man, like, what is going on? Dont try to fulfill some type of stereotype. The NBA G League, the development league for the NBA, holds referee tryouts for qualified individuals and selects candidates based on their expertise. Referee Simone Jelks calls a foul during the first half between the Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat at State Farm Arena on October 14, 2021 in. What advice would you give to others who wants to be like you? Palmer and Kantner smashed this barrier; those who came after them are trying to stomp on its remains. Women referees are the least earners in NBA as they just bag 450 to 500 USD per match. 7. It's not a big deal anymore," she remembers thinking. #NBA #NBAReferees twitter.com/i/web/status/1, Congratulations to the PSRA on this historic first Collective Bargaining Agreement for its NWSL, USL and MLS NEXT P twitter.com/i/web/status/1, University of Southern California 08 M.P.H. Jelks views Palmer as a key mentor in multiple ways. Thats an extra challenge, and I wanted the extra challenge just to see if I could do it. @booklynnets at @sixers "Here we are in a very male-dominated space, and the league was very proactive to make sure I had what I needed.". Any postseason game . She also earned a master's degree in Public Health from Case Western Reserve University (2011) and a master's degree in Urban Secondary Teaching from Cleveland State University (2013). In 2014, Simone Jelks was a referee for The News-Herald Classic's girls basketball all-star game at Lakeland Community College. "Former Brush Basketball Standout Simone Jelks Becomes NBA's 7th Female Referee", "NBA Promotes Three Referees To 2020-21 Officiating Staff", National Basketball Referees Association bio, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Simone_Jelks&oldid=1098223458, This page was last edited on 14 July 2022, at 20:41. . Skype chats gave way to lengthy group texts, including several that persist to this day. Compare the numbers of the three finalists for the leagues top defensive honor. Certainly not. Jelks played college basketball at the University of Southern California, where she was named to the 2007-08 Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. "While there were times it could wear on my spirit, it was also a real test of what I want to do and why it's important that I'm choosing to pursue this," Holtkamp-Sterling said of those initial struggles. Nov 5, 2022. In addition to her work as an official, Jelks is also an advocate for women in sports. The following is a Q&A with Jelks, 35, about her path to the NBA. That call brings goose bumps back to me, Jelks told The Undefeated recently. NBA referees also receive numerous benefits like travel expenses, insurance and retirement plans. No. Simone Jelks is the NBAs first female referee. Just be you. Jelks began her career as a referee in 2012, when she was 22 years old. Read on to learn more about her inspiring story. 1y. The figures referees receive today are nearly 10 times higher than it was in 1983, when officials made between $18,000 and $80,000 per season. [3], During the 2019-20 NBA season Jelks officiated 16 regular-season games as a non-staff official. Jelks, a 2004 Brush graduate, had just returned to Northeast Oh It was never a goal of mine, she says. NEW YORK - NBA G League referees Simone Jelks, Suyash Mehta and Andy Nagy have been promoted to full-time NBA staff officials, it was announced today by Monty McCutchen, NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Referee Development and Training.

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