This week, September 19 – September 25, is National Week of Deaf People for 2020 and Basketball Australia have been celebrating those in the Australian basketball community who have impaired hearing and make a significant contribution to the sport.
Victorian official Jackson Lakey from the Nunawading branch, can only hear 100 decibels of sound, which is considered profound deafness. Despite his hearing impairment, Lakey has been involved with the basketball community as a game official since he was a young teenager. “When I was 14 or 15, my dad suggested that I should have a go as a referee because it’s good pocket money after school and on the weekend. I had a lot of passion for basketball, I wanted to become a basketball referee,” explains Lakey. Although his hearing loss has posed difficulties for him through his journey, his love for the sport and passion to achieve his refereeing goals has seen Lakey progress through the ranks and he is now officiating in Victoria’s senior and junior leagues. “When I was a trainee referee, I had a lot of challenges. It was difficult to communicate with my referee mentors, players and coaches. I didn’t know how to deal with them because I was still new in a hearing world,” states Lakey. From Hobart Tasmania, Andrew Bradshaw is a retired official who also lives with a hearing impairment caused by nerve damage and the condition is hereditary within his family. Bradshaw who refereed the SEABL, Australian National Championships and at Chemist Warehouse WNBL levels, also recognised that communication was a common challenge to overcome during refereeing, particularly for someone with a hearing impairment. “As much as you try not to show it, the communication side of it and particularly at elite level can be difficult to interact with the coaches during play, especially if you’re on the other side of the court and don’t know what they’re talking about. That limits you a little bit,” explained Bradshaw. However, trying to work with hearing aids was equally as challenging for Bradshaw, “The first time I refereed with hearing aids was at the Australian Under-20s Championships in Ballarat back in 2006. I chose to wear them on the first game, and it threw me. It changes your whole mindset and how your brain operates from when you are not wearing them.”