Now is your chance to become a basketball official
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Many locations around Central Indiana are gearing up for NBA All-Star weekend.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is one of those locations.
On Thursday, an interactive sports officiating display will open inside the museum. The display will allow you to act like an official, as you’ll have to “make the call” on some basketball plays.
“This first-of-its-kind exhibit will challenge visitors to ‘make the call’ just like the officials in high school, college and pro basketball do around the world every day,” according to a news release.
The Zionsville-based company RefReps teamed up with The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis to create the exhibit.
“We are thrilled to partner with RefReps to bring this exciting and educational experience to The Children’s Museum,” Dr. Enzley Mitchell, the director of the Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, said in a news release. “This collaboration allows us to showcase the importance of sports officiating while engaging families in a fun and interactive way.”
RefReps’ official web site says that its mission is “guided by a passionate desire to properly develop the next generation of GREAT sports officials!”
“As a career sports official from the high school to professional level, with a desire to give back to the avocation that gave so much to me, I knew we had to help the next generation of sports officials learn the right way,” RefReps Co-Founder Mark Baltz said in a news release. “My career started in the classroom, just like it now has for thousands of students across the country with RefReps. Eventually, I spent 25 years officiating football professionally, so I have seen this process go full circle. Kyle, our team, and I are thrilled to help provide opportunities for others to do the same.”
The company says that nearly a quarter of all high schools in Indiana have “adopted RefReps’ curriculum and course materials into newly offered ‘Intro to Sports’ Officiating’ classes.”
Those classes are hoping to help develop the next generation of sports officials.
The exhibit at the museum will run from Feb. 15 through March 17. It will be free with museum admission.
“We believe this opportunity will help individuals form a new perspective and understanding of what it is, and what it means, to be a sports official,” RefReps Co-Founder Kyle Armstrong said in a news release. “It’s a fantastic way to foster appreciation, and empathy, for the often-overlooked role of referees in the game. Until you’ve seen the game through their eyes, you can never imagine just how hard their job really is!”
RefReps launched its “Intro to Sports Officiating” education initiative in 2022.