That tale makes her career choice seem more than a bit ironic. Its nice to have that support system and encouragement if one of us is down or sick. We really push each other and we just want everyone to be successful. Lauren Holtkamp recalls a subtle yet significant moment starting from her early days in refereeing NBA matches. Its really cool because weve all kind of been on our separate journeys in our individual careers, and now weve all come together within this association and were making history this season. Login. This is my first year. It was a wrap from there. Women are getting these opportunities, like Renee Montgomery owning a WNBA team. Men dont get that, so we need each other to lean on in those circumstances. I can just tell you my experience. Really being able to look in the mirror and tell myself I belong here, I deserve to be here and stepping out with that confidence. We definitely need each other to lean on. I was sending them all types of gifs and funny images. It goes as far as the janitors that get them into the locker rooms and get them everything that they need. Its just been an absolute blast working with and learning from everyone. Ive been in the gym since I was born. The woman I admire most is my mom. My parents and I happened to be connecting at the same airport on the same airline on the same flight. Moyer-Gleich: A lot of the people think the biggest challenge is the players or the coaches that were not going to be accepted. G league [games] and college [games] all winter, W [games] all summer, college all winter, W all summer. There are things that you can talk woman to woman that you cant really talk to a man about or how are you going to handle a certain situation that men dont really have to deal with. Kenenisa Bekele Net worth, Family and Lifestyle, Eliud Kipchoge: Net worth, Family and Lifestyle. But I tuned in at night just because it was just so inspiring to see them on the floor and like, wow, I cant believe this hasnt happened. Netizens Memes: ~Did you see that foul? Jenna Schroeder never pictured herself as an NBA referee. I look at growing up, playing YMCA, and then all through middle school and high school. What advice have you shared with girls or women who want to become officials? After I finished my undergrad studies, I went back to school and got my masters degree. Jelks: Be yourself. The Miami Heat game against the Washington Wizards will be officiated by Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling and Ashley Moyer Gleich on February 5, 2021. theres just such an opportunity to figure it out and be creative., I dont want to overuse the word innovative, but I really think that is what its about being able to find a path that works, she continued. I also knew that coaching was not what I was interested in. I live in Detroit and I was never there for three years traveling. My strength and resilience was just really defined [by basketball] at an early age. This season has seen a record 7 female referees officiate at least one game in the NBA. They are a product of the leagues efforts on employing the most qualified and diligent referees in the industry. We go on vacations together. If the NBA did not do that I would not work for them. Now you see it and youre like, wow, it is an opportunity for us. Once I graduated from college, I wasnt sure what I was going to do with my life. So when I saw two women on a game, I was like, Holy heck, this is history. And I get to watch it. She raised two children in a very small town, low income by herself, and pushed me to strive for my goals. Be yourself. Knowing that were in it together and can learn from each others experience and lean on each other when we need it has been huge. Holtkamp-Sterling: My mother. Then, I wake up the morning of the game, do our game day meeting and all of a sudden social media just blows up. Were here. Youre going to make mistakes, but its how you recover from those mistakes and your talk when no one is watching that truly matters. Im 31 years old, so thats my entire life. Jenna Schroeder was an aggressive player in college, fouling out in two of her first three games as a guard at Saginaw Valley State and even picking up a technical foul for a colorful comment. Natalie Sago: It was very meaningful [to work that game with Jenna Schroeder]. In male-dominated industries like this, its easy to try to emulate other people. Seeing is believing in it. I tend to be pretty hard on myself when I make mistakes. Then, I went everywhere. On International Womens Day, we celebrate Jenna Schroeder and Natalie Sago, who were the first two female officials to officiate the same NBA game. Im seeing more female sports psychologists that work for the teams. Try to think this is the way to make it to the top, but the only way to find success when youre at the top is to be truthful to who you are. They love the sport and are willing to put the work in, the time in and trust that they can develop the skills they can do it. Scott: When I have these talks with the young ladies, I tell them to study their rules and mechanics because thatll give them confidence while theyre out there on the floor. Jelks: Its huge. ~Fouling in love with you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P67-lvkOxcI IFAB announced a 12-month trial in . Putting us out there on one of the biggest platforms in the world with the best athletes in the world is a really big thing. So, its great that professional basketball allows it to be equal and let you even have the opportunity to do it. I started playing basketball at a very young age. The NBA platform is so huge and I didnt even realize how huge it was. Get used to these faces. Oklahoma City re-acquires former All-Star Victor Oladipo from Miami for future Draft compensation. Having that memory of my first game and having those girls take time out of their busy schedules, away from their families to be there and support me, Ill never forget that it was really truly incredible. Holtkamp-Sterling: Oh, I say go for it. Here I am 16 years later, still officiating from the time I started. She is incredible. I feel like women, especially women in male-dominated industries, always in the back of our heads, theres a little space, no matter how well we are doing, like Am I good enough? and the answer will always be yes, NBA quotes her. Im very grateful that the NBA lets us do that. NBA adds 4 new full-time referees, including 2 female NBA referees All of the congratulatory text messages and social media posts that we got from, not only our family and friends, but our colleagues and other stars out there in the world. ~What foul? wning a WNBA team. I felt like its OK to be different. We go on vacations together. This [referee experience] isnt the same for me. Mosher: Im going to give the cliche answer, but I really think its true: my mother. and shes kind of been like someone, I looked up to my whole life. Who cares who you piss off in the process? I was excited for them personally because theyre my friends, and I was excited for them professionally because it was such an important moment in our profession and on a wider scale. I hope to see more, but its very empowering for lack of a better word. My mom would take us in our car seats and we would sit there and watch. I want success for all these other women that are with me right now, and then the ones that are coming in after us. : Oh, my biggest advice thats a tough question. If thats your goal, go and get it. I never met Natalie before. I think that they should follow their passion. Brown heads to Pacers on 2-year, $45M deal, Grizzlies bring in Rose on 2-year deal, per source, Bucks, Middleton agree to 3-year, $102M deal, Grant returning to Blazers on 5-year, $160M deal, Seth Curry agrees to 2-year deal with Mavericks, Cam Johnson stays with Nets for 4 years, $108M, Herb Jones stays with Pels on 4-year, $54M deal, Sources: Heat add Richardson, bring back Love, NBA trade tracker: Grades, details for all deals for 2023-24, KD, Kawhi, LeBron (three times) and every NBA team's most impactful signing since 2010, NBA summer league 2023: News, schedule and scenes, 2023 NBA free agency: Fantasy basketball impact, signings, more, Fantasy: Why the Porzingis trade helps Celtics, Wizards and Grizzlies. If the NBA did not do that I would not work for them. I wasnt pointing. Go out there with that mindset of wanting to be the best referee, whatever is your journey. At halftime [of one game], I was walking to the locker room and one player tapped me on the shoulder and said, Hell of a half. I was like, wow. Shes very caring and no matter what happens in her life, she always handles and gets through it gracefully. Miami Heat Forward Nears Panic Mode Amid Early Season Slump. Were backing the NBA, really trying to push the boundaries in hiring women, gender equality, and making those opportunities available for women to become professional NBA referees. She is definitely my biggest supporter and encourager, and she is everything that I want to be one day when Im a mom. They might not think about being a referee, but, hopefully, it encourages other women and other industries to keep pushing the barriers. We have fans telling us to go back to the kitchen and saying crazy things to it. I got into it, so that transformed into playing and refereeing. It was awesome. My mom was with me when I got the call. I cant go to the mens camps? You see that happening for us on the referee staff. For these . My path has been very fast because Ive only been refereeing for a total of seven years of my life from when I picked up that first whistle to referee that AAU game and I didnt like it. My dad played basketball. I was able to share the moment with her and that just meant the world to me. Orlando Magic. Even though women are more commonly playing key roles in the NBA now -- as assistant coaches, in the front offices, as broadcasters and by handling the whistle in games -- Schroeder knows she still will be considered a trendsetter. the first nba indian origin referees journey from pre-med to pre-ref NBA referee Natalie Sago will officiate Monday's game alongside Jenna Schroeder and Sean Wright . I think that because the game is always evolving, so is our training and thats both the challenge of it and what is so gratifying about the work. Its a domino effect and that will just keep going. Knowing that I could have a career in sport in a way that they represented, their representation showed me that. Also, Adam Silver, NBA commissioner had stated in a report in 2017, he wishes to appoint more than there is no point in not doing so. I would say if anybodys even remotely interested in trying it to go for it because its a really rewarding career. And on the coaching side, thereve been several women whove been promoted in front-office positions like Alyson Feaster with the Boston Celtics and Kristi Toliver in an assistant coaching role with Washington. Then my dad, as I got older, he really wanted me to get into officiating and try it. How meaningful was this moment to you as a fellow female official? I started playing as a kid and played up through high school. [Former NBA referees] Dee [Kanter] and Violet [Palmer], Lauren [Holtkamp-Sterling], Natalie, and myself, and now with Jenna [Schroeder] and Simone [Jelks] as full-time referees, were breaking barriers and were kind of crossing that threshold of whats the new normal. It shouldnt be a competition. I wanted to be a sponge and just soak up all the knowledge and wisdom. The Hornets-Magic game on Monday will be the first time an NBA ref crew has included two women. I went into the test, which had some on-court training stuff with officiating, and I just fell in love with it immediately. I was able to share the moment with her and that just meant the world to me. Ive watched it. But, she spent much of her time going to all of her fathers games and competitions, who worked as a basketball official for high schools and colleges for more than 35 years. Born in Cleveland, Simone Jelks found her solace in a basketball court since she was a small girl. My personal experience is its been quite the opposite. Danielle Scott: Basketball has taught me a lot of lessons. The second section of a two-part interview is focused on womens empowerment. My fondest NBA officiating memory is my first preseason game when I was non-staff. Getty If we didn't hear about Ashley and Natalie, we'd still be wondering. The NBA free agency period started with a bang, and many players took to Twitter to applaud their teammates and friends. I mean, Billie Jean King tweeted about us. If thats your goal, go and get it. Isnt it surprising that when growing up, Natalie Sago wasnt much of a basketball fan? We were very surprised because we knew it had never been done before then we just continue to work our [game] schedule. Sago doesnt regret her history among female referees in the NBA. "I know that I'm good enough," Moyer-Gleich said. The NBA first started hiring female referees in 1997, but until last month, there has never been a game in which more than one woman was assigned to the same game. Jelks believes in individual responsibility by coaches and players which at times passes for a woman referee who is too sensitive. Work as many games as you can. I played in high school. He explained that even if I didnt get into refereeing, I could just take the test and it could be a resume builder when I did start applying for coaching jobs. It meant the world to me because I think seeing is believing. We knew we were going to work together when the schedule came out on Christmas Eve. Veteran guard and Michigan native Monte Morris is reportedly dealt from the Wizards to the Pistons. Examining the life of the female NBA referee Luka Doncic was "fouling in love with" on court We have to focus. Basketball has always been in my blood. And she came up to me after a game and took me aside and said, 'Hey, here's a card.' And it was a card of the NBA officials' scout. It was fun watching them out there doing their thing. Over 16 years ago, there were only two women in the game, but this has now changed. Theyve been super welcoming to me and I appreciate that. Im excited about what it means for our profession moving forward. My goal was never to be in the WNBA or my goal was never to be an NBA official. Find someone you can trust to send plays to and get advice from. By Emily Bicks Updated Sep 13, 2022 at 3:33pm Getty The Miami Heat game against the Washington Wizards will be officiated by Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling (L) and Ashley Moyer Gleich on February 5,. Having my parents and my brother and a bunch of my family and friends at my very first game in Memphis Ill never forget that. Its important to just remember to control what you can control. I did [get high school certification] in the state of Missouri and I worked high school. Its awesome that they get to be the first ones to do it. I was slinging beers one night, refereeing the next night until I got to the point where I actually could make refereeing a career. The biggest challenge for me, I think coming into this arena is believing in myself, because its so new, you know? So far, her years in the NBA as a referee have taught her the value of dedication and working with tight schedules. In celebrating Womens History Month, who is a woman that you most admire? Get used to these ponytails. Just to stick with like officiating, Lauren [Holtkamp-Sterling] has been a big role model for me personally, and I know some of the other girls probably have that answer as well. We encourage each other. There are five full-time women and two non-staff. What role has basketball played in your life and how did it lead to a career as an official? Basketball; NBA; Who is Ashley Moyer-Gleich? When I couldnt play in college and I was able to pick up reffing as a side gig that was awesome. I was learning the sport that I thought I knew all over again from a completely different lens that I absolutely loved. In the United States, were tipping the iceberg of gender equality. Work on a couple of things each game. So, that was more of a challenge in life and deciding where I wanted to go. So, yeah, my dad has been a very big role model for me in this business. Shes not only my mom, but shes my best friend. I would say life was more of a challenge in deciding which path I want to take because I was focused on being a doctor at the time and then this fell into my lap. Jelks: I see it in a lot of different aspects. I was part of the D-League for six years and I refereed in the WNBA for four years and Im in my seventh season in the NBA. Embrace who you are and that will shine in all of your work. The progression of women being on that big stage of professional sports. Theyve been super welcoming to me and I appreciate that. A lot of the people think the biggest challenge is the players or the coaches that were not going to be accepted. Ashley was finally promoted to being a full-time NBA official referee in 2018. Shes not only my mom, but shes my best friend. I would say if anybodys even remotely interested in trying it to go for it because its a really rewarding career. Dannica Mosher working Wizards vs. Nuggets. Danielle Scott: This was a huge moment not only for our sport before our league. I played Division II college ball and then started officiating as soon as I was finished playing. It shouldnt matter about our race, gender, ethnicity. Scott: Its definitely when I was invited to be on the floor and work games this season. Crystal Hogan is the only female official in the country working men's Division I basketball games.