", "It's so cool," Sago added. It is imperative refs put biases aside and treat every player and coach the same. Is the player-ref relationship healthier than people think it is? It really wasnt even refereeing. Its obvious that Im brand-new and its obvious Im a female, she said. Now you see it and youre like, wow, it is an opportunity for us. "It's like my feminist dreams come true, that like my personal values are colliding with my professional values and it's awesome. It helps to have really good people around you. But, whatever, I wore stripes and got paid, so that was my first time refereeing. Its a domino effect and that will just keep going. I dont think you survive scrutiny; I think you embrace scrutiny, McCutchen said. Shes very caring and no matter what happens in her life, she always handles and gets through it gracefully. NBA promotes 4 referees to 2022-23 officiating staff Scott: Since thereve been more women working[in the game], players and coaches see us more on a regular basis. Women are getting these opportunities, like Renee Montgomery owning a WNBA team. Jenna Schroeder has been added to the NBA's full-time refereeing staff, becoming the fourth female official on the league's current roster and sixth woman ever to officiate an NBA game. Jenna Schroeder and Danielle Scott to bring the total of female full-time officials to eight for the 2022-23 season I worked my way up through that route. However, once you started officiating, did you begin to realize things you didnt know? All NBA referees with fewer than four years of service in the NBA work NBA G League games to gain additional experience as crew chiefs and develop as leaders. I think that they should follow their passion. Embrace who you are and that will shine in all of your work. Jenna always uses this little term vision is everything, seeing is believing. She later officiated a game involving Detroit, where the other members of the crew introduced her to Pistons coach Dwane Casey. I think that they should follow their passion. NBA game to feature two women referees, a league first Fantasy: Why the Porzingis trade helps Celtics, Wizards and Grizzlies. When I was going to the [G-League] try-out, George Tolliver had everyone in the room write down their goal in a notebook. Its necessarily rigorous so you do the years of work, the training programs and then you have your opportunity, she said. When I first saw her, one of the things I told her the next day is you really have to be dedicated to officiating, to breaking down tape, to knowing the rules and enforcing the rules.. Its always very quick. Sago: We have a great group. I think its important for us to foster those relationships and stay tight-knit because, at the end of the day, were going to be supportive and encouraging one another. Oh, my gosh. The first college camp I went to, they said, No, you have to work womens college basketball. I was like, wait, what? She is my rock and my role model. I heard a quote: If you can see it and you can be it. Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling looks on during a Nets-Rockets game. Were you a fan of the NBA? Natalie Sago, Jenna Schroeder form NBA's first two-woman ref crew Ten women have held that job in league history, with the . This season has featured many milestones for women working within the NBA. What advice have you shared with girls or women who want to become officials? Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Schroeder knows it goes with the territory. If we didn't hear about Ashley and Natalie, we'd still be wondering. Thats something that means a lot to me. My goal was never to be in the WNBA or my goal was never to be an NBA official. I hope that at some point women officiating mens sports will become the norm at all levels. They basically run themselves ragged trying to do both.. They know its a process for us to get into the league, just like its a process for the players, its a process for the coaches.. Megan Rapinoe wrote on her Instagram about us. That would probably be my biggest piece of advice. She becomes the sixth woman on the current staff, joining Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Simone Jelks, Natalie Sago and Jenna Schroeder. It was a beginning and an ending.. Schroeder also has seven years of collegiate officiating experience, working in the ACC, Big East, Atlantic 10 and American conferences. She raised two children in a very small town, low income by herself, and pushed me to strive for my goals. She also worked the NBA G League International Challenge at NBA All-Star 2018 in Los Angeles. When I was growing up, my mom didnt really harp on my gender. He watched Schroeder and others closely at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and decided the time was right to give her this chance. Women officials now make up 8% of the 75-member officiating staff as the league continues its focus on hiring the most talented and hardest-working referees in the business. It just didnt happen. Embrace who you are and that will shine in all of your work. We have to find strength and a lot more to keep us going and we provide that to each other. Were here. Michigans financial picture was even worse. We text all the time were in a group chain. I think Womens History Month is a time where we have to appreciate the people who came before us. "But I was obviously hoping this was my year. Schroeder was promoted Tuesday by the NBA to full-time official status, making her the fourth woman on the league's current referee roster and the sixth in league history. Some people [in other industries] are a little far behind in that aspect. Jenna Schroeder is in her first season as an NBA referee. They have a good pool of young officials in the league that are going to make mistakes, but it just takes time. Holtkamp-Sterling: My mother. Nobody's ever truly ready, but I'm as ready as I can be. Schroeder got the call without ever working a regular-season game as a non-staff official. . Oct 14, 2022 Dannica Mosher earned a promotion from the G League level. Its just wild. Then, five years later, there was one: Palmer. In month-long celebration of women in sport, the Raptors will have an all-female broadcast team for March 24 game vs. Denver. We have to encourage other women who are fighting this gender equality battle right now. . Jenna Schroeder | Basketball-Reference.com Female officials Q&A Part 2: Women's empowerment | NBA.com I also liked it, and it kept me in shape. Holtkamp, Moyer-Gleich, and Sago were the only three female referees that were active in the NBA for the. I think I was probably more excited than they were. On International Womens Day, we celebrate Jenna Schroeder and Natalie Sago, who were the first two female officials to officiate the same NBA game. "I was shocked by the timing of it," Schroeder said. If someone tells us where we should look, we take the time to look at them.. You have to seek it out yourself, which is very unique. Get used to these faces. Whats the biggest adjustment from going to, lets say, college to the WNBA? Jelks: Our experience as women have brought us close together. We cant do what we do out there on the floor without the support, without them knowing that in the back rooms where the opinions matter the most with our bosses, that they support us 100 percent. OFFICIAL #84 Schroeder has officiated three seasons in the NBA G League and two seasons in the WNBA. Its empowering because when I was growing up you didnt know those things. Im seeing more female sports psychologists that work for the teams. Shes the one I look up to and what I do, I do it for her. Right now, its still a big deal. October 22, 2019 NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2019 - NBA G League referee Jenna Schroeder has been promoted to the NBA's full-time officiating staff, it was announced today by Monty McCutchen,. Schroeder has officiated three seasons in the NBA G League and two seasons in the WNBA. Right now, I walk out onto the court and theyre like, Who is that? Theyve never seen me before, and Ive seen them on tape and TV. Its nice to have that support system and encouragement if one of us is down or sick. I would imagine being an official at the levels youve been at is hard, and being a female official, Im sure, brings about separate challenges. Simone Jelks: Oh, it was great. Thats what those two ladies did that night. We have different experiences than the men do. Longtime NBA Referee Gary Zielinski Named Youth & Amateur Officiating Development Lead, NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee Guide. I just picked a degree and it was see how this goes. Is Saudi Arabia preparing to invest in Tennis following grand success in Football? Then an opportunity in the G League popped up, and I always said I wasnt going to turn down an opportunity. I was so happy and proud of them. Q&A with NBA referee Jenna Schroeder: The Michigan native on an I was so excited for them. And now referee Jenna Schroeder, who graduated from suburban Clio High School, has joined the lineage. Ive never met them in person. Jenna Schroeder becomes fourth woman on NBA referee staff Holtkamp-Sterling: Oh, I say go for it. Who cares who you piss off in the process? Jenna Schroeder becomes 4th woman on NBA referee staff Its really powerful that we work for a company that supports us and pushes us. Work on a couple of things each game. We really push each other and we just want everyone to be successful. The young woman wanted Del Duco, a veteran collegereferee, to stick around and watch her officiate a later game. Jenna Schroeder has been added to the NBA's full-time refereeing staff, becoming the fourth female official on the league's current roster and sixth woman ever to officiate an NBA game. She is definitely my biggest supporter and encourager, and she is everything that I want to be one day when Im a mom. It just brings another level of intensity to it. Before becoming an NBA referee, Holtkamp. Very green, inexperienced,like all of us were at some point, Del Duco said. Schroeder got the call without ever working a regular-season game as a non-staff official. Its achievable, lets go get it. Jelks: Be yourself. First of all, you go from amateurs to professionals. Female NBA referees Cheryl Flores, Dannica Mosher promoted - SPIN.ph The move comes after stints in college, the WNBA and the G League. It was a really good, bright spot in an otherwise challenging season. So, its great that professional basketball allows it to be equal and let you even have the opportunity to do it. She etched her name into the history books as the first mother to officiate a league game. Moyer-Gleich: Its kind of natural. Hi, or something easy like that. What was your first step into big-time officiating? Before I got hired, we were going to Summer League and I was in the WNBA. Jenna always uses this little term vision is everything, seeing is believing. It shouldnt be a competition. ", Schroeder becomes NBA's fourth female referee, Wemby will join Spurs in Vegas summer league, Bucks' Lopez honored for youth literacy support, Pelinka: Busy West foes won't sway Lakers' plans, Sources: Warriors' DiVincenzo declining option, Sources: Kings' Fernandez to lead Team Canada, Utah's Horton-Tucker picks up $11 million option, Source: Heat guard Oladipo opts in for 2023-24, Sources: Pistons plan to pick up Burks' option, NBA free agency 2023: Our insiders dissect the biggest storylines, NBA summer league 2023: News, schedule and scenes, Victor Wembanyama's jam-packed welcome week. She just said, if you want it, go get it. I worked in the ACC, the Big East and American (Athletic). 8 Women Are Changing What the Modern NBA Referee Looks Like By Joe Grobeck | May 11, 2023 Sameness is a word of emphasis when talking about officiating in the NBA. Theres this moment, youve been hired, earning the job youve worked so hard for and then knowing theres so much still ahead of you. You cant really move up unless you have someone who has been there and can teach you. I hope to see more, but its very empowering for lack of a better word. "I was shocked by the timing of it," Schroeder said. Im seeing more female broadcasters, and sideline reporters that are female. Yeah, obviously, thats a huge notch on my belt or any females belt. Danica Mosher: Honestly, it was awesome. James L. Edwards III is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Pistons. The NBA's five full-time women referees are changing the game, but this is just the beginning - ESPN. When you open up the lines of communication for everyone, thats always a positive thing. We will continue their work for the women who come after us. Youre obviously someone who played basketball your entire life through college. NBA referee Jenna Schroeder once was Comerica Park bartender Natalie Sago and Jenna Schroeder Make History as First Female NBA I wanted to be a sponge and just soak up all the knowledge and wisdom. I hope that at some point women officiating mens sports will become the norm at all levels. Referee data is available for the 1988-89 through 2022-23 seasons. : Oh, my biggest advice thats a tough question. THE FIRST NBA INDIAN ORIGIN REFEREES JOURNEY FROM PRE-MED TO PRE-REF, NBRA ANNOUNCES RATIFICATION OF AGREEMENT FOR G LEAGUE START OF SEASON, See Billy Joel, Eric Clapton and The Rolling Stones in concert. How meaningful was this moment to you as a fellow female official? That's the most women the NBA has ever had . There are currently five women working full-time as NBA referees, according to the league's 2020-21 officiating staff roster. Jenna is such a determined soul. I would say if anybodys even remotely interested in trying it to go for it because its a really rewarding career. I wouldnt want to work for a company who didnt want me for me, if I couldnt just be my genuine, authentic self and be who I am and they cant accept that. Jelks becomes the seventh female full-time ref in . Schroeder, 34, who played basketballat two Michigan colleges and resides in the Detroit area, started her journey nine years ago, officiating AAU games at Cage Fieldhouse in Swartz Creek. They knew I was the new one out there, so a lot of them took it upon themselves to come up to me. Find someone you can trust to send plays to and get advice from. What does it mean to have the NBAs support in developing female officials? Be yourself because everyone else is taken. All rights reserved. Schroeder was promoted Tuesday by the NBA to full-time official status, making her the fourth woman on the league's current referee roster and the sixth in league history. Baseball was perfect because I could work 81 home games in the summer and then have the flexibility to referee all winter long without any outside distractions during the basketball season, Schroeder said. Most referees when they start out have 9-5 jobs, then go referee a game after they have been working all day. 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. Is it what you expected? 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. Its almost unheard of that in (nine) years you go from high school and then youre in the NBA. Oh, it was great. The level of scrutiny at the NBA is higher than any other theyve experienced as an official, so that will be new. Natalie Sago, Jenna Schroeder form NBA's first two-woman ref crew OK, so in my mind, I can understand how someone goes from college to the NBA. Get used to these faces. The No. Were popping up everywhere. We should help each other out thats what youre supposed to do. There arent classes for it. Furthermore, once someone told you that you could make this a career, was the goal to get to one of those two leagues? They can do it. When she retired in 2016 after her 18-season career, it was back to. Its two of us, so were not going anywhere. The NBA's five full-time women referees are changing the game, but this Throughout the season, Lopez raised roughly $235K for books and funding to support literacy initiatives in Milwaukee. No portion of NBA.com Since then, seven women have worked as full-time NBA referees. Its just so surreal, Del Duco said. As the WNBA players have gotten more media exposure that they deserve, and into [the NBA] where you see women being hired in front office positions and coaching positions. The move comes after stints in college, the WNBA and the G League. Natalie Sago and Jenna Schroeder joined Sean Wright for the Hornets-Magic matchup. I was sending them all types of gifs and funny images. My goal was to be a sponge. Sago: 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. She adds that feedback from players and coaches has been positive. And she marches to the beat of her own drum and is a free spirit and I can really resonate with that because its kind of like me. You have to lean on another referee and be like, Teach me, please, and figure it out. It is huge to know that we are supported. What progress have you seen in female representation around the game over the past few years? Im close friends with both of them, so Im honored to work with them and to be a part of their journey. Jenna Schroeder was promoted Tuesday by the NBA to full-time official status, making her the fourth woman on the league's current referee roster and the sixth in league history. Sean Wright rounded out the trio as crew chief, according to referee assignments posted on the NBA website. NBA adds four new full-time referees, including two more women She is the latest example of the NBA G Leagues impact as a valuable pipeline for our NBA officiating staff.. Then you jump to the WNBA, where the players are getting paid, and they have the knowledge that they have the power to make decisions on their own, I guess you could say, their brand. McCutchen retired from officiating in 2017 after roaming the courts for 25 seasons. Dont be afraid to pursue mens basketball. If the NBA did not do that I would not work for them. The group is cut down to roughly 50, who are interviewedand audition during exhibitions. A search on the web produces articles of Chris Pauls criticismfollowing a game in 2015, and shebecame a topic of discussion for talking heads. There are currently five women Sago, Schroeder, Simone Jelks, Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling and Ashley Moyer-Gleich working full-time as NBA referees, according to the league's 2020-21. When I get to the game two hours earlier, Im seeing more female sports trainers. Try a week on us. That would probably be my biggest piece of advice. She talked about her experiences and everything about being an NBA referee. The Hornets-Magic game on Monday will be the first time an NBA ref crew has included two women. 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. (Schroeder checks with public relations) Nope. Theres a bond for us about going through the training system and then being on the staff together. Jenna Schroeder and Danielle Scott as women at the full-time NBA referee level. When I first started, I wanted to work in mens basketball. Women are getting these opportunities, like. Many college graduates had to reassess in 2009. Who are the Thompson twins in the NBA? Natalie Sago and Jenna Schroeder made up two-thirds of the crew assigned to the Charlotte at Orlando game, the first time in NBA history that two women were assigned to work a regular-season. In the beginning, back in 1997, there were two: Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner. I have bleached-blond hair so Im extremely recognizable, so people come up and actually introduced themselvesplayers and coaches. She refereed NBA G League playoff games during the 2018-19 season. You need to keep it moving, and find something that is a good fit. 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. The Comerica Park experience and calendarmeshed well for the basketball official. Michelle Del Duco had just completed officiating a womens basketball game at Siena Heights University when she was approached by a young referee. This season has seen a record 7 female referees officiate at least one game in the NBA. They go everywhere, including international games. "Someone looked at me one day and asked why I didn't just do it as a profession, and I said, 'You can do that?'". Meet the female NBA referees who got their start as NCAA DII student Obviously, there is a love for the game you wanted to be around it after playing. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. We definitely need each other to lean on. From that initial group of 3,000, the list is cutto 100 candidates, who are invited to attend a camp. My goal was never to be a G League referee, even though thats what I wanted. When you see three of us women out there on a game if that will just become the new normal, but it was super. Jenna Schroeder becomes 4th woman on NBA referee staff I am just super grateful for the memories that weve made so far and all the moments still to come with this group of ladies. She becomes the fourth female official on the league's roster, joining Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Ashley Moyer-Gleich and . Then, for them being able to take that kind of publicity and the pressure, Im sure that they felt it doing that game and doing it well and being excellent. Meet the 8 Female NBA Referees Breaking Barriers - FanBuzz I dont normally watch basketball, I try to stay away from basketball when Im at home so I can focus on life [outside of the game]. They hold the power in that right. Mosher: Its great to have that platform and [the league] provides that. She reached the summit in October when she was promoted to full-time NBA referee, one of four on the current roster and the sixth woman to reach that level in league history. Its huge. The young woman wanted Del Duco, a veteran. We have a great group. "I think you have to promote things like this because otherwise people wouldn't hear about it and it would still be like an anomaly," Schroeder said. The NBA platform is so huge and I didnt even realize how huge it was. She graduated from Saginaw Valley State with a bachelors degree in Communications. It was fun watching them out there doing their thing. She is my rock and my role model. 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. I was so happy and proud of them. Our experience as women have brought us close together. She also has spent seven seasons as a college official in the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Atlantic 10 and American Athletic conferences. Weve known each other for a long time and weve actually worked together before in the G League, WNBA, and obviously in college. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter. All the social justice [initiatives] that the women are doing in the WNBA. Del Duco agreed, observing the first half. Oh my God all the time. Her addition is another landmark achievement for the NBA, which has made a concerted effort in recent years to find what it believes are the best officials in the world male or female. Sago, 31, and Schroeder, 35, were two of the three people on the officiating crew . November 7, 2022 Atanu Bera NBA, Sports News Table of Contents Lauren Holtkamp Simone Jelks Ashley Moyer-Gleich Natalie Sago Jenna Schroeder Who has registered the fastest lap at the Austrian Grand Prix? (AP) 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. Its quite an accomplishment for her, Holtkamp said. Mosher: Im going to give the cliche answer, but I really think its true: my mother. The NBA is a leader in so many ways with both social justice and recognizing that the league can use its position as a sports leader to help create equity for so many people that historically have been denied those opportunities. It kind of manifested in that way. I got yelled at constantly. A quick Twitter search yields compliments. We encourage each other. We have fans telling us to go back to the kitchen and saying crazy things to it. We as officials cant take it personal, and we dont take it personal. Theres just been wonderful momentum. Simone Jelks promoted, is 7th woman to be full-time NBA ref - USA TODAY Michigan native Jenna Schroeder becomes 4th woman on NBA referee staff Shes not only my mom, but shes my best friend. In journalism, and I would assume this is the case for officials, too, there has to be a fine line in a relationship. Schroeder: Be yourself because everyone else is taken. If you have a goal and a dream, go tackle it because at this day and age, if you have the ability to do it, you should be able to be awarded that job opportunity and be able to do it. It has been a period of increasing attention for officials. That tale makes her career choice seem more than a bit ironic. We should help each other out thats what youre supposed to do. From that, 10 to 12 new officials are added each season to the G-League. NBA female refs: Who are all the female referees in the NBA In male-dominated industries like this, its easy to try to emulate other people. Schroeder: I would not want to work for a company that didnt support me. Schroeder will continue to work some G League games, as is standard for all NBA referees with less than four years of service. I see female security guards. Jelks joins the group of female NBA referees that also includes Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Natalie Sago and Jenna Schroeder. Basically, it was one person walking up and down on the floor, and if a little girl falls on the floor youd have to help her up or whatever. There are five full-time women and two non-staff. Pursue your passions really is what I tell them. Their two predecessors were Dee Kantner and Violet Palmer. Jenna Schroeder becomes 4th woman on NBA referee staff I just wanted to referee anything that I could. "She is the latest example of the NBA G League's impact as a valuable pipeline for our NBA officiating staff.". Youre supposed to empower other women. It was a really good, bright spot in an otherwise challenging season. USA TODAY 0:00 1:37 When the Charlotte Hornets and the Orlando Magic tip-off Monday in Amway Center, it will mark a first in NBA history two women will work on the same officiating crew. 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. Jenna Schroeder struggled with all of that. I know when I learned shed been hired, I also felt excited for our staff because I know shes incredibly talented, (a) hard-working, human-oriented person. She is incredible. I was in high school. Jenna has shown the requisite skill on the court and the knowledge of our rules to earn an opportunity to officiate NBA regular-season games, said McCutchen.