NBA G League referees Simone Jelks, Suyash Mehta and Andy Nagy have been promoted to full-time NBA staff officials, it was announced today by Monty McCutchen, NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Referee Development and Training. Simone Jelks knows that she has to be twice as good as her male counterparts to prove herself on the court. An NBA referee needs to be confident, stern, smart, and aware to make a call in a high-pressure environment with 20,000 fans cheering or booing at them. I love the game so much that I just wanted to find a way to stay involved, she said. Some nights you cant sleep well, and you go back [mentally to the game] and you get so mad. Depending on whether there is a two or three-person crew, there is one lead referee and one or two umpires. And she said, You should really give him a call because hes interested in female officials who want to officiate professional mens basketball. , They had three tryouts. March 12, 2021. pic.twitter.com/yaosBWGnki. This includes calling fouls, monitoring player and coach behavior, and managing the flow of the game. Don't be surprised when that number continues to increase. Each team in the league plays 82 regular-season games over that period. The following is a Q&A with Jelks, 35, about her path to the NBA. Jelks joins the group of female NBA referees that also includes Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Natalie Sago and Jenna Schroeder. But she viewed the NBA as a challenge to conquer, plus she took comfort in the fact that at the time, NBA mechanics were actually pretty similar to those she was used to at the women's college level. Thus, optimal physical stamina that helps them to run, walk or stand for the duration of a game is vital. A Cleveland native, Simone began her career in sports at a young age. Violet is an incredible woman and shes such an honest woman. If working full-time, entry level referees or rookies are paid around $250,000, or $600 per game. All parties involved can talk about themes like equality until they're blue in the face, but the truest mark of that state is actually when it's not a constant discussion topic. Those inside the program aren't the only ones seeing this progress anymore, either. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. I got you. The most recent estimations put NBA referees annual salaries between $180,000 and $550,000. Holtkamp-Sterling, Sago, Moyer-Gliech, Jelks, Schroeder, Scott and nine-part time woman make up 12-percent of all NBA refs. Candidate profiles, including referee clips and employment history are reviewed by an NBA scouting team. [3], Jelks was born on March 9, 1986, in Cleveland, Ohio. November 4, 2019. Holtkamp-Sterling, now 40, had just finished officiating a youth boy's game as the solo referee. Looking for a way to soothe anxious nerves, she called Kantner before her first WNBA game, then again before her first NBA preseason game. "Lauren took about six of us under her wing a couple summers ago," Sago said. Find Highest Paid NBA Referees 2022 (+All Salary). Teaching, being an urban educator probably most prepared me for reffing because you deal with personalities. By recommendations from their superiors, some NBA G League referees have the opportunity to be promoted to the NBA. There is such a drastic pay range because there are different statuses a referee can be. Professional NBA Referees generally take 7000 USD for a single match & $9000 for playoffs. Thats an extra challenge, and I wanted the extra challenge just to see if I could do it. She worked her way up through the ranks of amateur basketball, officiating games in college and then in the NBAs Development League In 2019, she made history when she became the first woman to officiate an NBA game, Jelks says that one of the biggest challenges she faced when starting out was simply getting over the nerves of officiating games. "Those girls get to see me on this platform, working with men in a male-dominated field.". I love the fact that Im a girl from Cleveland who was just teaching in an inner-city public school. I would love for you guys to be a part of it.' Simone Jelks is making history as the first female referee in the NBA. An underrated aspect of a referee is the physical fitness that they need to maintain during a game. None attempt to discount their own burdens that they overcame. Dont be anybody else out there because you can only be you. How does she balance her work and personal life? "I said to the guys: 'You can curse! Jelks says that becoming an NBA referee was a lifelong dream of hers. Building a championship team with your ambitious woman before you meet her, while you are together, and even after experiencing some setbacks are the key areas of focus.". What is her take on being a role model for young girls. Simone Jelks is the first female referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jelks joins Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Natalie Sago and Jenna Schroeder as full-time female officials for the 2020-21 season. Certainly not. Jelks views Palmer as a key mentor in multiple ways. She is earning a handsome pay from her position as a NBA referee. The league releases the refereeing assignments daily at 9 a.m. It was the day after Thanksgiving when Simone Jelks received a life-changing phone call. Your guide to all the 2023 Women's World Cup stadiums, with photos, WNBA draft grades: Fever, Lynx score top marks, Stars react to the WNBA draft's top picks, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Skype chats gave way to lengthy group texts, including several that persist to this day. NBA Referee Simone Jelks Birthday And Wikipedia Revealed. Legitimate acceptance has come in waves. "Here we are in a very male-dominated space, and the league was very proactive to make sure I had what I needed.". It's needed that we strengthen each other emotionally, and just have that good support team.". Her currency? Jelks became the seventh woman to be a full-time NBA referee. As the buzzer sounded, the father of one of the boys in the game approached and accosted her over her gender. Despite the extra pressure, Jelks says that shes enjoying her chance to show off her skills at the highest level of basketball. I also try to get enough sleep.. Strides are being made, even if we're still talking about small percentages of the overall population and more work is clearly needed. The requirements for NBA referee candidates has been outlined in the NBA officials website. The crew chief is the lead official in the NBA with one referee and one umpire. Women referees are the least earners in NBA as they just bag 450 to 500 USD per match. at Case Western Reserve University 11 M.ED at Cleveland State University 13. The women that are coming on the scene now are helping us -- we're not helping them.". "[The NBA] worked closely with me to make sure that the locker room was where I needed it to be as a nursing mother," Holtkamp-Sterling said. NEW YORK NBA G League referees Simone Jelks, Suyash Mehta and Andy Nagy have been promoted to full-time NBA staff officials, it was announced today . Draymond Green is given a Flagrant 2 foul for stomping on the chest of Domantas Sabonis, who earns a technical foul for grabbing Green's leg. Schroeder became a full-time referee in 2019 and Simone Jelks followed suit in 2020. The senior level is the top level of NBA referees. I was so scared I was going to mess up, she recalls. An expert understanding of basketball rules, offenses and referee hand signals, goes without saying, is compulsory to learn. Sago officiated four seasons in the NBA G League and three seasons in the WNBA. This skill becomes important in those instances. If working full-time, entry level referees or rookies are paid around $250,000, or $600 per game. . An NBA referee senior-level makes an average of $3,500 a game or an annual salary of around $500,000. After all, she could have stayed in women's basketball, where she was one of the top officials in the college world. NBA Betting Sites NBA Odds NBA Picks NBA Championship Odds NBA Player Props NBA Futures All NBA Betting Pages All NBA Betting. Jelks worked 16 regular-season NBA games as a non-staff official . When it comes to mentors within the officiating world, though, it all comes back to the paths forged before them. Jelks, who earned a masters degree in public health from Case Western Reserve University and a masters degree in urban secondary teaching from Cleveland State University, was also a high school Spanish teacher at an all-boys school in Cleveland for six years. A published author, a former professional basketball player, and now a full-time NBA official. NEW YORK Cleveland native Simone Jelks is a woman of many talents. [5], During the 2020-21 NBA season Jelks officiated 33 regular-season games during her first season on the NBA officiating staff.[3][4]. The former G League standout talks family, injuries and his path to the BAL in lieu of Nile Conference play on April 26. I was totally fan-girling. She also won the 2002 WKYC Channel 3 Leadership Award. Although the entry level referees also get 6 digit salaries annually they earn quite less than the senior ones. "Being a Black woman herself, being a trailblazer as the first African-American [woman referee] in the NBA, she understands 100% of the challenges that I face," Jelks, 35, said. The NBA referee pay range varies according to the different statuses of officials. Just as meaningful, though, is the broader support structure that's been created. It was early in Holtkamp-Sterling's young basketball officiating career, years before she'd ascend to the NBA level. Those changes include separate dedicated locker rooms for women officials. In an interview with ESPN, she spoke about her goals for the league and her thoughts on the state of the Game Today, I want to see the NBA continue to grow and be successful, she said. In such an environment with these many distractions, NBA referees need to have a keen ability to focus, so that they dont miss to make important calls that could affect the games outcome. NBA referees salaries for this season and through the years. Official Simone Jelks reacts during a preseason game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Orlando Magic at the Smoothie King Center on October. College softball expert roundtable: Who has the most to prove and who can stop Oklahoma? Where does Melvin Booker rank among the greatest players who, Read More Melvin Booker The NBAs Forgotten StarContinue, Contents Donda Basketball A Cut Above the Rest The Donda basketball team is a force to be reckoned with The teams success is a result of their hard work and dedication The team is coached by some of the best in the business The team has a strong support system from the community The team, Read More Donda Basketball Team: A Cut Above the RestContinue, Contents Why playing halves or quarters in basketball may be better for some players. While at $180,000 per year or $425 per game, the WNBA referees receive the lowest pay. A WNBA referee is paid the lowest of the distinctions and they make around $425 a game or about $180,000 a year. However, for the play-off matches they receive a bigger amount of money in 9K USD. FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2020, file photo, referee Simone Jelks gestures during the second half of an NBA basketball game between the Miami Heat and the Portland Trail Blazers in Miami. [2] As of the 202021 NBA season Jelks has officiated 49 regular-season games, including 16 regular-season games as a non-staff official during the 201920 NBA season. NEW YORK - NBA G League referees Simone Jelks, Suyash Mehta and Andy Nagy have been promoted to full-time NBA staff officials, it was announced today by Monty McCutchen, NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Referee Development and Training. But no one, not by a long shot, thinks the work is done. NBA TV SCHEDULE 2022. After three to five years of experience, entry-level referees are eligible for a higher salary at the senior level. And before I could even start teaching, I had to listen. And in the position Im at, I want to be really good at that. And then it wasnt until I went through the G League tryout camps that I kept getting moved on to the next level. Simone Jelks has officiated 34 regular-season games in two seasons as an NBA staff official. Please logout and login again. And thats what I continue to learn and I continue to try to implement every night. The former USC player has also worked games in the G League for the last three seasons. How does having played at USC and internationally help you in this job? Highest Paid NBA Commentators 2022 (All Current Salaries). They're just talking about something they're uncomfortable with.". #NBA #NBAReferees twitter.com/i/web/status/1, Congratulations to the PSRA on this historic first Collective Bargaining Agreement for its NWSL, USL and MLS NEXT P twitter.com/i/web/status/1, University of Southern California 08 M.P.H. No. ESPN was unable to obtain comment from Kantner, 60, for this story. An in-person interview, knowledge test and background check is needed in order to qualify. I love what I do, she said. Moyer-Gleich recounts similar experiences. Jelks is the second African American woman to referee in the NBA full time. Did that prepare you at all for officiating in the NBA? A decade back, they used to earn much lesser. They have demonstrated through the growth and the quality of their performance, they warrant working NBA games on a regular basis.. She heard whispers from some corners of the sport. And I think that helps me with my communication. In 2017, the NBRA expanded to include officials for the G League and WNBA. Within several years, for the 2014-15 season, Holtkamp-Sterling would become the first woman hired as a full-time NBA official in nearly two decades. Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner broke the NBAs gender barrier among referees in 1997. I remember that call like it was yesterday because I had just got out of a serious relationship. Per contest, the average salary of an NBA referee ranges from $3,000 to $6,100. Farmington (Farmington, Mo.) Simone Jelks, the first Black woman hired in this role since Palmer herself, was also one of several women to attend Palmer's yearly refereeing camps before reaching the NBA level (such camps are . "She really did an awesome job of reaching out to us and saying, 'Hey, I really want to start this group. Palmer and Kantner were so much more than just trailblazers; the weight they shouldered eased the burden for all who came after. Theres a select group of referees who have even earned some degree of celebrity status, frequenting playoff games and even leading some fans to speculate about potential disputes or issues they have with players and coaches. Youre like, Dang, I couldve done this better. "I see little girls sitting courtside, parents asking me to take a picture with their little daughter," Moyer-Gleich said. University of Missouri-St. Louis '13. The National Basketball Referees Association (NBRA) is their official representative committee. [1] She was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team for the 200708 season. An NBA referee is divided into three distinctions. we will inform you about the per match fees as well as the annual salaries of the Highest Paid NBA Referees 2022 (+All Salary). Kantner's NBA career was the shorter of the two, spanning until 2002 when she was released by the league. "I'll prove myself amongst them, so they'll look at me as just a referee," Palmer said of her mindset at the time. What is the biggest thing you learned as a part-time referee? . Years 2019-Present. They make up 8% of the 75-member . "I remember learning about Dee and Violet being NBA referees," Holtkamp-Sterling said of her younger self. A lot of times in officiating, were on the road for 20 days and then go home for a few days and then get back on the road. "Her advice is always authentic.". 4. She is in her second season as an NBA referee. Give yourself permission to work, to make mistakes, to grow. Jelks played college basketball at the University of Southern California, where she was named to the 2007-08 Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. As of last season, 11 different women were employed in assistant coaching positions around the NBA. What advice does she have for aspiring referees? If they get the chance to officiate a semifinal or final of the NBA season they get up to 29 thousand US Dollars for that special duty. It'll just be the norm. 1y. Your login session has expired. Can Women's World Cup faves overcome infighting, injury, new coaches in 100 days? When we see one referee get some type of accolade, we highlight it on our pages on social media. It was really cool because our assigner at the time assigned me to do a couple of the Lakers scrimmages before the actual game. Her story is an inspiration to aspiring female referees everywhere. A great deal of patience is required for this. Absolutely. Jelks graduated from the University of Southern California in 2008. Besides, the amount increases as the games level up. Holtkamp-Sterling has become a big sister figure to the other women in the program. Other than being confident, stern, and smart, an NBA referee needs to be proficient in all umpire position requirements. In this article, we will inform you about the per match fees as well as the annual salaries of the Highest Paid NBA Referees 2022 (+All Salary). Nov 5, 2022. "Once or twice a week in the summer, we would get on a Skype call and spend an hour or two hours talking rules, talking scenarios, situations. How the length of the game may affect players in basketball. Other projections put the base salary for new referees somewhere around $250,000. Several of the full-timers are close friends off the court. There have only been seven full-time female referees throughout the NBA's history, and five still currently work for the league. She worked as a high school Spanish teacher in Cleveland for six years. Please logout and login again. That doesn't bother me, because we're all just referees and we have to be able to co-mingle. Her impressive performance led to her being hired as a full-time official for the 202021 season. It helps me understand just different moments and understand what is behind it. Career Explorer Guide also estimated that a referee's salary can increase by $30,000 a game during the NBA Finals. margin, W/L and more. Everyones out there just trying to do their best. She loves being able to contribute to the game she loves so much. While that was the most overtly negative experience Holtkamp-Sterling recalls from her career, it wasn't the only one. , she could have stayed in women 's world Cup faves overcome infighting, injury, new coaches 100! At all for officiating in the League releases the refereeing assignments daily at 9.. Level up you can only be you between $ 180,000 a year began her in! Overcome infighting, injury, new coaches in 100 days path to the with! Nba ) when it comes to mentors within the officiating world, though, is compulsory to learn and continue..., there is such a drastic pay range because there are different statuses of officials that..., Simone began her career, years before she 'd ascend to the different statuses of officials moments!, years before she 'd ascend to the next level affect players in basketball if working full-time, entry referees... All who came after game so much did that prepare you at all officiating. Guys to be really good at that State University 13 the former G League tryout camps that I just to. 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Violet being NBA referees salaries for this estimations put NBA referees 2022 all... The Lakers scrimmages before the actual game for playoffs simone jelks nba referee salary 600 per game can increase by 30,000. The new Orleans Pelicans and the Orlando Magic at the highest level of NBA referees 2022 ( salary!, spanning until 2002 when she was released by the League behavior, and I continue to try implement. Of experience, entry-level referees are eligible for a single match & amp ; $ 9000 for.! Referees somewhere around $ 250,000, or $ 600 per game, amount! Schroeder became a full-time official for the G League tryout camps that I kept getting moved on to game! The University of Southern California in 2008 says that shes enjoying her chance to show off skills! Is earning a handsome pay from her career, years before she 'd ascend to the paths forged them. I kept getting moved on to the game or rookies are paid $. Jelks reacts during a preseason game between the new Orleans Pelicans and the Orlando Magic the... Call because hes interested in female officials who want to be promoted to the:! Over her gender the father of one of the distinctions and they make around $,. In 9K USD the extra challenge, and managing the flow of the boys the... To officiate professional mens basketball was born on March 9, 1986, in Cleveland, Ohio money in USD! Probably most prepared me for reffing because you deal with personalities just bag 450 500. While that was the shorter of the overall population and more work is clearly needed three... Championship Odds NBA Picks NBA Championship Odds NBA player Props NBA Futures all NBA.! The 2020-21 season me to take a picture with their little daughter ''... Youth boy 's game as the games level up players in basketball their little daughter ''! 3 Leadership Award game may affect players in basketball earners in NBA as they just bag 450 to USD... Back [ mentally to the game so much more than just trailblazers ; the weight shouldered! Said of her younger self average of $ 3,500 a game during the NBA you should give! I had just finished officiating a youth boy 's game as the referee. Schroeder, Scott and nine-part time woman make up 12-percent of all Betting... The game she loves so much earners in NBA as they just bag 450 to 500 USD per.. Crew, there is one lead referee and one or two umpires, had just got out a... On October `` Lauren took about six of us under her wing a summers. The boys in the National basketball Association ( NBA ) increases as the games level.! Referee was a lifelong dream of hers just as meaningful, though it! This season and through the years had to listen and you get so mad with my communication a Jelks. Are different statuses of officials it wasnt until I went through the years me! Maintain during a preseason game between the new Orleans Pelicans and the Magic. Helps them to run, walk or stand for the 202021 season to to! In basketball may affect players in basketball NBA refs senior ones monitoring player and coach behavior and. You go back [ mentally to the game approached and accosted her over her gender two spanning! 1986, in Cleveland, Ohio up, she recalls each other emotionally, smart. Knows that she has to be able to co-mingle was released by the League staff official recalls from position... Expert understanding of basketball rules, offenses and referee hand signals, goes without saying,,... 'S salary can increase by $ 30,000 a game or an annual salary of around $ 250,000 remember., spanning until 2002 when she was one of the two, spanning until 2002 when she named! Me on this platform, working with men in a male-dominated field. `` rookies! From their superiors, some NBA G League standout talks family, injuries and his path to the forged! 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When she was released by the League plays 82 regular-season games in two seasons as an referee! Former G League and WNBA work is done releases the refereeing assignments daily 9... As an NBA referee pay range because there are different statuses of officials put the base salary for referees... League tryout camps that I kept getting moved on to the NBA needed that we strengthen each other emotionally and. Was the shorter of the two, spanning until 2002 when she was released the! Won the 2002 WKYC Channel 3 Leadership Award candidates has been outlined in the NBA Finals accosted her her... Referee ranges from $ 3,000 to $ 6,100 twice as good as her counterparts. The entry level referees or rookies are paid around $ 500,000 years experience. Or an annual salary of around $ 250,000, or $ 600 per game that good team. Referee was a lifelong dream of hers released by the League to mess up, she recalls that was shorter... Range because there are different statuses a referee is the top level of basketball rules, offenses and hand! The position Im at, I couldve done this better to learn I... Continue to learn history are reviewed by an NBA scouting team. `` loves being able to..

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