UCF is on the radar of the National Basketball Association. Not just for basketball talent, but for basketball officiating talent. UCF senior and nursing major, Dannica Mosher, is a great example why.
The NBA invited Mosher, a UCF Intramural supervisor, to its Grassroots Officiating Camp. She is one of 48 people the league selected from across the country. The Grassroots program is the first step in the NBA’s evaluation process. Mosher and the other invitees are trying to earn a spot in the NBA’s Developmental League (D-League) program for referees. Four former Knights, Nelson Santiago, Vladimir Voyard-Tadal, John Conley and Ray Acosta are all officiating in the D-League.
Mosher says she’s been on cloud nine since league officials reached out to her, “When I received the official email, my smile grew from ear-to-ear. I am just so excited to go and soak up as much information as I can and implement it into my game. I feel like I should be nervous, but I’m more excited than anything.”
Two former Knights, Brent Barnaky and Steve Anderson, are full-time NBA officials. All seven officials came through the RWC’s Intramural Sports Officiating Training Program and the UCF Basketball Officiating Class held every fall at the RWC.
RWC Associate Director of Programs Gary Cahen (a Division 1 College Football official), states UCF has a long tradition of developing officials, “Our success in developing sports officials is mostly a product of partnerships with our alumni, local community organizations and the various sports league we connect with. These resources and leaders in officiating help provide opportunities for current UCF students to learn what it takes to thrive as an official both on and off-campus.”
RWC Director Jim Wilkening runs the Basketball Officiating Class every fall, and says Barnaky and Anderson are keys to the success of the class when they come back to teach new officials, “The Basketball Officials Class at UCF has experienced unprecedented success nationally. That of course is great but what makes it all come full circle is to watch NBA Referees and UCF Alumni Brent Barnaky and Steve Anderson unselfish loyalty to the program by continue to give back with their time and talent.”
Campus Rec Magazine recently published a feature story on Barnaky, Anderson and UCF’s program. For more information on the IM Sports officiating program, contact the RWC’s Assistant Director of Intramural Sports Shane Land at: shane.land@ucf.edu.
For photos of Mosher, and NBA officials Brent Barnaky and Steve Anderson, click here.