As the lead for Basketball England’s Officiating Development Project and Officiating Plan, a new Officiating Advisory Group has now been formed.
With a clear remit to drive forward the priorities in the Basketball England Officiating Plan and strengthen the relationship between the National Governing Body and the officials in the sport, the Group will also work to have a positive effect on officiating standards, regional and national success and officials’ motivation, development and progression.
Basketball England Delivery Manager Simon Unsworth said, “I’m delighted to welcome all the members of the Officiating Advisory Group and I’m sure that we’ll be successful in helping the sport move forward. As a central pillar to Basketball England’s strategic plans for the game, officiating will surely benefit from the expertise and input at our disposal.”
All members of the group will be appointed for an initial 12-month term, with all positions being reviewed yearly. Initial appointments to the group required experience in one or more of the following fields: International Officiating Training and Development, National Officiating Training and Development, Regional and Junior Officiating Training and Development, Women’s Officiating Training and Development, Active Club and National Team Coaching Development, Appointment as the Basketball England FIBA National Instructor.
Much like the Coaching Advisory Group that was recently announced, the group will look to try and meeting at least four or five times a year, with relevant speakers and guests being invited to these meetings based on their expertise and the subject matter being discussed. More importantly, members of the group will make sure that they pass important information back to their organisations, clubs, regions or agreed networks after each meeting.
The initial appointments to the Basketball England Officiating Advisory Group are:
Kate Unsworth
Alison Muir
Jessica Fox
David Turner
Richard Stokes
Neil Wilkinson
Alan Richardson
Mark Patton
Matthew Guymon
Roger Harrison
Janine Timms
Vanessa Ellis
Martin Ford
Marc Steutel
By including both officials as well as coaches, the group aims to utilise a mix of views and experiences when trying to push officiating forward. The group’s first meeting is scheduled for Saturday 20 October.
