This past Sunday the 30^th July, the DVBA held a referee training session for all of our referees in regards to “Dealing with Conflict”. We were lucky enough to have Bill Mildenhall run the session for the day giving our referees the chance to learn from one of the all-time greats in Australia.

Bill’s resume is exceptional, he had officiated in the NBL since 1979 up to 2011 and is the most decorated referee in NBL history. Bill won an amazing 16 consecutive NBL Referee of the Year awards from 1988 to 2003 – a record for both the number of awards won and consecutive wins. This alone shows Bill’s ability to deal with conflict would be at the highest level, officiating the highest level in Australia for several years.

Not only is this session to assist our referees in enhancing their officiating but this training can and will also develop their skills in day to day living. Bill covered all areas of conflict including aspects such as body language, personal space, learning the signs and conflicts with spectators.

Our referee advisor Trish McKinnon was in attendance on the day and had this to say, “I would like to thank all those who attended on Sunday and a special thankyou to both Bill and Tim for coming to share their experiences and expertise in relation to conflict resolution. I feel the referees who attended, gained valuable information that can be put into practice not only on the court but also off the court for day to day living.” Trish McKinnon.

We will continue to look for opportunities to help educate and teach our referees in different aspects of the game.