Professional basketball quest

Mariselle Stofberg
Nolowazi Moyo

Basketball is an international sport that captures the hearts of many. Basketball athletes inspire and are a motivation to these three candidates who have decided to turn it from being a hobby to a job that they love and want part of their lives. These three candidates go by the names of Suoma, Taurai and Maurice. They have dedicated their lives into becoming basketball officials on the 3rd of June of this year they have attended training at Basketball Artists School (BAS) in Windhoek.

Suoma notes that the training was very youthful. “We were equipped on how be a referee at games and all the signs used by a referee during a game from the start of the game to the end.” The reffs are there to supervise a game on the penalties, fouls, violations that could take place in a basketball game and ways on how to handle the situation if these things were to take place. Maurice also says it was interesting to learn how the head reff will always stay on the left side and the trail reff will always stay on right side from the entrance of the court. He also explains that the head and the trail change positions depending on who is closer to the ball and shooting board. “There are rules and regulations that must be followed at any cost,” Maurice said. The coaches and trainers, Patrick and Tamera, call the rules the diverse ‘ten commandments’. Taurai later on ponders on how at every end of the game they are paid according to the positions they were sent to do by the trainers. “We were practically trained on how a reff should act on the court and were advised that we should be professional at all times.”

They were advised that discipline and respect to whoever it may be is one of the most important things in basketball. If any lack of discipline and disrespect is shown it may result in punishment by being suspended and salary deductions. The three learners had a noteworthy time at BAS.