Graduating Athlete Conversion
The Graduating Athlete Conversion Program (GAC) is designed to reach out to student athletes in the hopes of recruiting them to become basketball officials. The program is the brainchild of Board 10 Basketball Official, Ryan Wodarski.
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Like high school officiating boards across the country, Board 10 is seeing decreased membership that is expected to worsen over the coming years as the baby boomer population reaches the end of their officiating careers. This problem impacts all stake holders involved in high school basketball in the state of Connecticut and across the country.
Through GAC, Board 10 partners with coaches and athletic directors of schools and conferences that we service. The coaches and ADs help identify possible candidates for the GAC program. The GAC team will then facilitate structured meetings or individual sessions to answer questions, discuss officiating and recruit student athletes to the officiating ranks.
The GAC program is still in its early stages, but it has already had success. In the first year Board 10 recruited more than 20 officials from the pool of graduating student athletes. These officials have already started officiating games at the high school level, and are making a positive impact to the game.
The GAC program is a valuable resource for both student athletes and the officiating community. The program provides student athletes with an opportunity to continue their involvement in the game of basketball, and it provides the officiating community with a new pool of talent.
Here are some of the benefits of officiating:
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continued involvement in the game you love.
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learning how to handle high pressure situations with calmness and professionalism.
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earning extra money money.
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Staying in shape.
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networking and resume building.
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If you are or know a student athlete who is interested in becoming a basketball official or would like more information on the GAC program please complete the form below and a member of Board 10 will contact you shortly.
