By Alice Barbosa, sports writer and Árbitros NBA CEO
Referee Fitness Pro is a platform developed by three professionals that realized the need to have a physical conditioning program for referees in Brazil. Gregório Lelis, Ramiro Inchauspe, and Pablo Barbian are coordinators of the Physical Fitness Control of the Brazilian Basketball Confederation (CBB), and now they share their experience in the fitness area for those who want to improve and optimize their training.
The program has a training schedule, which involves strength, running, Pilates, flexibility, and recovery activities. The subscriber can access the modules through any electronic device, including lectures on topics related to well-being.
Lelis emphasizes that proper fitness for the role is essential for the professional to perform on the four lines. “Both for the beginner and an experienced referee, good physical conditioning is essential for the referee to have control of the game’s decisions, especially in moments of tension and conflict situations.”
“We created the platform to encourage all referees to follow a training routine, which is specific to the sport. Initially, we identified pain in many referees, which was the lack of a specific training program for the sport. Many trained on their own; however, as the vast majority did not have specific knowledge, they end up forgetting other physical abilities which the referee needs to train.” He highlights other attractions, such as guidelines on nutrition and how to deal with the pressure of the profession.
Ramiro Inchauspe says that the platform facilitates refereeing mechanics, fundamental to improve the positioning on the court. And he mentions the importance of professionals having this type of follow-up to avoid injuries. “Many referees train on their own, many still with that thing that I only need to run to pass the physical test. They don’t train demands that will prevent injuries.”
Featured Image: disclosure/Columbia Missourian.