#157 The Wonderful Women of Officiating | Maia Chaka | Virginia Beach | Episode 5

𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙊𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜” 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙖𝙞𝙖 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙠𝙖.⁣ ⁣ Maia recently made national headlines by becoming the second female official hired into the NFL. But her rise to the top did not happen overnight as she steadily grinder her way for 15 years to get to this point.⁣ ⁣ She worked 3 years as a high school official before catapulting directly into the NCAA Division 1 ranks where she spent 10 years honing her craft at the collegiate level. ⁣ ⁣ She was also a part of the NFL developmental training program for 7 years receiving guidance on the differences between pro vs. college rules and being mentored by some of the NFL’s best teachers. ⁣ ⁣ Her breakthrough as a football official happened when she became a certified basketball official learning from NBA legends Leroy Richardson and Tony Brothers. This mentorship and introduction to a new set of rules gave her added toughness and swagger that she didn't know existed within her. She would rise to also become a Division 1 basketball official in the MEAC conference.⁣ ⁣ In this episode, Maia goes into detail about what she loves about officiating, how to overcome mistakes, and what the impact of this moment means to her. ⁣ ⁣ She also elaborates on the positive influence of her mentors, how to block out negative voices, and advice for officials who are frustrated with their careers.