Big calls all in a day's work for ref

You get them those better games at a higher level and they learn from that..Melony Wealleans Melony Limpus started playing basketball when she was growing up and going to Wanganui Girls' College in Wanganui, and she was on the end of a referee's whistle at a relatively young age too.

This weekend she was back in her home town calling games in the Springvale Stadium.

These days, as Melony Wealleans, she has a key role in the growth of the sport in this country.

She is the referee co-ordinator working for Basketball NZ in Wellington, a role she assumed in April last year.

"We've got national champs that we have to organise referees for but I also have responsibility of developing programmes to get people through so they can work at that level," she said,.

She's done over 200 games in the National Basketball League so is no stranger to what's required.

"We have three levels and that's where I've been for a a few years now.

"But it's something I love doing. You have to keep up the fitness and that's harder as you get older, but I love it."

She said the national body had not had someone dedicated to her role for a few years but decided they needed someone there.

"The ref numbers have declined over the years and that's an issue but most of our development of these people now is based around national tournament and getting them to those events. It's no different to players really. You get them those better games at a higher level and they learn from that."

Wealleans said they had a good bunch of younger refs on the way through the system and it was a matter of them getting the experience.

"But like a lot of sports basketball numbers are struggling and some hard work is being done to address that. I don't know whether it's a financial thing or not."

She said the national body was being a lot more proactive now led by a new board and chief executive Ian Potter.

"Ian's very big at getting the country's associations on board and asking them specifically what those regions want from the board and the sport," she said.