HAYS – Long before Gary Zielinski embarked on a successful NBA officiating career, Zielinski was blessed with the support system and training necessary to help him rise to the top of his profession. 

He started younger than most, picking up his first whistle at 11.

“I had good training, and I enjoyed it because of my good training,” Zielinski said. “I had good support. The person who got me involved in refereeing was the supervisor at the rec center. 

“When I was 13, he goes ‘I want you to start teaching referees.’  So I was teaching high school kids at 13 how to referee.”

By the time he retired in 2019, Zielinksi had officiated more than 1,100 regular-season games as well as 18 playoff games in the NBA. 

Since then, Zielinksi has been focused on providing the same support to budding young officials that he received as a teenager. 

Zielinksi made six stops last week to Kansas high schools –  Buhler, Haven, Nemaha Central, Beloit, Hays and Goodland – to hold mini-clinics for officiating classes powered by RefReps, an officiating education system that helps develop the next generation of sports officials. 

“I’m a true believer that there’s two things that get people into refereeing – training and support,” Zielinksi said. “RefReps supports them by training them and having a teacher right there.”

In his stop at Hays, Zielinksi spent his time by going through specific scenarios referees might encounter and quizzed the students on making the correct call. He also had them practice how to properly report a foul call to the scorer’s table. 

More importantly, Zielinski encouraged the students to take the plunge and start officiating games for real.

“The main thing I try to get across: Officiating is fun,” Zielinski said. “You just have to get out there and do it.”

Over 870 schools and organizations are currently teaching RefReps classes across 43 states, with over 21,000 new officials having started through the platform. 

In Kansas alone, around 80 schools now use the RefReps curriculum.

“What officiating provides for students gives a different perspective because at some point we are all done playing sports and we find a way to stay involved whether that be coaching, being a parent, or officiating,” said Scott Goodheart, the Kansas State High School Activities Association’s Director of Officials. “Officiating provides so many life skills that are great attributes: time management, conflict resolution, following rules, regulations and decision making.”

Hays’ sports officiating class, taught by Haley Wolf, started this year. 

“(Officiating) is an important thing to get interest for, regardless of the sport,” Wolf said. “My goal from the first day has just been getting kids interested in giving back to the sport. We have a good group that’s been willing to do that. I’ve been really pleased with how it’s gone so far.”

Wolf said the RefReps curriculum is easy for students to grasp. She has 15 kids taking the class this semester. The class at Hays focuses on football and basketball officiating and the students get to choose a third sport to study. 

“It’s very much module and video based,” Wolf said. “We try to incorporate different activities and bring in guest speakers, having them referee mock scrimmages and things like that.

“It’s invaluable having (Zielinski visit the class) because he’s someone who’s done it at the highest level. His information is awesome.”

Zielinski said getting high school students interested is the most effective way to combat the nationwide officiating shortage.

He stressed the importance of veteran officials taking active roles in showing new referees the ropes. 

“A lot of times you’ll get kids who want to referee, you’ll put them out there and say ‘Ok, just get through it,’ and they’re getting yelled at all the time,” Zielinski said. “Usually they say, ‘I’m done.’ 

“But if you have good veterans that say ‘I’m going to protect you, I’m going to show you how much fun it is,’ they usually stick around.”

Zielinski said most growing pains occur when young officials are about 17 or 18. For Zielinski, those growing pains came even younger. 

The Utah native recalled showing up to work a basketball game at the local gym, only to find out he would be reffing a pick-up game between prisoners from the nearby correctional facility.

“Guards at each door with guns,” Zielinski said. “I’m 13 years old and I’m refereeing prisoners. Big adult men.

“My partner calls a foul on a gentleman named Sammy, so Sammy’s standing right next to me on free throws. And he’s yelling, ‘I didn’t foul him!  I turned to look at him, there’s snot coming out of his nose. He’s so mad and he’s turning red.”

Zielinksi recalled making a joke to lighten the mood. 

“I say, ‘Listen up everyone. From now on, Sammy doesn’t foul. We’re not calling fouls on Sammy,’ and they all started laughing.

“That was my growing pains, and that’s how I learned to talk to NBA players, too. That’s what you have to tell a high school kid: Have fun with it. If you’re funny, tell a joke. If you’re serious, let them know you’re serious. Use your personality because you’ll grow from there.”

While wrapping up his presentation, Zielinski asked the Hays High students if they had seen a famous clip of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant playfully punching each other after a collision during the final game between the two in the 2003 season. 

It was Zielinski who called the charge on Bryant. 

Afterward a student asked Zielinski about officiating Draymond Green. Zielinski had nothing but good things to say about the passionate forward from the Golden State Warriors. 

“The thing about Draymond is he makes you better,” Zielinski said. 

Zielinski has found students in smaller communities are much more engaged in his presentations than the larger cities. He tells students they can reach the pinnacle of officiating like he did if they’re serious about the craft. 

“I never thought I was going to have a job as a NBA referee,” Zielinski said. “So I can go tell a kid in a small-town school, 'Go work on your craft, and you can make it.'

“There’s more demand than there is supply,” Zielinski added. “So if you want to be a referee and put in all the work, you can easily rise to the top. Take it seriously because you never know where it can lead you.”