

The Crown Refs Podcast
Paul Diasparra
The Crown Refs Podcast is the ultimate audio experience for basketball officials looking to elevate their craft, build confidence, and achieve long-term success on and off the court. Hosted by Paul Diasparra, this podcast helps referees master their skills, refine their judgment, and develop a strong officiating mindset. It features top names in officiating like Joey Crawford, Roger Ayers, Dee Kantner, Maia Chaka, Lisa Mattingly, Tyler Ford, Penny Davis, Reggie Greenwood, Scott Foster, Al Battista, Crystal Hogan, Bo Boroski, Gary Vee, Clarence Armstrong, and more. #Servethegame
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 13, 2023 โข 6min
#316 The Crown Refs Spotlight | Janice Elgedawy | April 2023
We are excited to reboot the first-ever content series that we started back in 2018 called the Crown Refs Spotlight where we highlight 1 official per month and give an in-depth look at their story and journey through officiating.โฃ
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Patreon.com/crownrefsโฃ
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https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/new_york/hartsdale/crown-refsโฃ
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Refereestore.com

Apr 11, 2023 โข 39min
#315 Rapid Responses 12 | Establishing Respect | w/Vinny Paolicelli
On this episode of Rapid Responses, we lay out the right times to establish those respectful communication guidelines with the coaches and players. โฃ
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Vinny also details a few unsporting stories from his past games that we review and break down. We discuss how to spot behavioral patterns, how to respond when they question our integrity, and how to respectfully exit the conversation when it times out.โฃ
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Patreon.com/crownrefsโฃ
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๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒโฃ
https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/new_york/hartsdale/crown-refsโฃ
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Refereestore.com

Apr 5, 2023 โข 11min
#314 Camp clips 13 | Why I joined Crown Refs
The 13th installment of our Camp Clips series, Crown Refs is always looking for more high character individuals like Brandon who love officiating and would appreciate being a part of a special community of referees. Our program was built to get stronger with each new member we add. Montrell talks about why he enjoys being a part of the Crown Refs Mentor Community and how the program has developed him as an official. Jake was an official that we worked with long before โฃ
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Crown Refs and we appreciate his continued support and engagement in our community. He continues to greatly devlop each year and we ar excited for his ascension up the industry ladder. Roger Ayers talks about what a dream come true it was to officiate the Final Four game between Duke & UNC. Then we are back to signal school for tips on adding an additional layer of information on new directional points. As well as covering the best way to change your partner out of bounds call and also the best way to ask for help on an out-of-bounds play. We've all experienced the feeling of moving too fast on the basketball court both mentally and physically. Rushing only leads to mistakes in all walks of life and that's why it's essential to try and master the skills of patience and poise. In such a wildly emotional game we have to be the emotionally mature ones who are capable of being the bigger person at ALL times. โฃ
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Patreon.com/crownrefsโฃ
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๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒโฃ
https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/new_york/hartsdale/crown-refsโฃ
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Refereestore.com

Apr 4, 2023 โข 16min
#313 Camp Clips 12 | Positive Self-Talk Only
The 12th installment of our Camp Clips series, Paul describes what the origin of signal school and demonstrates all of the different signals in the workout. Paul provides a couple cues that will help add strength and polish such as - PUNCH THE SKY and Copy & Paste. How many of us have incorrectly called a 5-second violation because we succumbed to the pressure of everyone yelling for 5 seconds and anticipated the call?
Practice your hand count with a visible timer to build that automatic muscle memory. One of the benefits of signal school is fine-tuning all of the things that you may not realize. We provide the 3-step technique when presenting the block signal and we discuss the subtle differences between on the spot vs at the table. Just like players who work on their left hand to expand their skill set, as officials we should have that same approach. I hope this conversation can help at least one person who's felt the same way that Taylor has and realize that our weaknesses have the opportunity to become our greatest strength.
Remember to build yourself up with positive self-talk and eliminate the language that has insecurity in it. Thank you to tiktok for all your feedback as we appreciate you taking time out of your day to share your thoughts on our content and thanks to Montrell Cade for attending signal school and being kind enough to give his reaction about the routine.
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Patreon.com/crownrefsโฃ
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๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒโฃ
https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/new_york/hartsdale/crown-refsโฃ
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Refereestore.com

Mar 30, 2023 โข 12min
#312 Camp clips 11 | Chatting w/Darius Mcghee | Liberty U. Legend
The 11th installment of our Camp Clips series, we hear about one of the best parts about the crown refs community. Paul explains to Liberty basketball player Darius McGhee about offensive initiated contact. Also, a snippet from Rashaad Murphy a retired US Air Force and a devoted father of 5 and
Porsha Waddey showing great humility and transparency by listing some of the things she wants to improve on.
More postgame feedback, strengthening the chop, different ways to show game awareness, and what is the correct sequence of signals for a 3pt make and 1. discuss and 1 mechanics also when a coach tries to put us in a box by saying "the same exact play happened on that end and you didn't call it", quickly respond with "some plays can be similar but never the same". very rarely will you see two of the exact same plays in a game so don't allow that language into the convo.
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Patreon.com/crownrefsโฃ
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๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒโฃ
https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/new_york/hartsdale/crown-refsโฃ
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Refereestore.com

Mar 25, 2023 โข 21min
#310 Talking with Taylor Vol. 2 | with Taylor Hamm
In the second installment of talking with Taylor, we discuss the importance of communicating specifically with coaches about plays and rulings, instead of using vague terminology like โbody contact.โ โฃ
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We also touch on the significance of not having expectations for games as it can lead to frustration if things don't go as planned. This call is part of the Crown Refs 1-2-1 service but we think you will find many of the items discussed valuable for your game.โฃ
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Patreon.com/crownrefsโฃ
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๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟโฃ
https://conta.cc/3IOL2d1โฃ
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Refereestore.com/crownrefs

Mar 23, 2023 โข 27min
#309 The Happiness Project | with Mike Tucker
This episode is all about the power of positivity and all of the amazing things that come with having an optimistic perspective on life. We speak about the importance of being grateful every single day, not judging yourself, following your passions and finding happiness. โฃ
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This episode was recorded after a fall league game with Mike Tucker, who was working the clock. I stayed after the game to engage in this compelling conversation and provide value for Mike. We hope you enjoy!โฃ
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Patreon.com/crownrefsโฃ
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๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒโฃ
https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/new_york/hartsdale/crown-refsโฃ
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๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟโฃ
Refereestore.com

Mar 22, 2023 โข 1h 17min
#308 Game Notes 039 | with Zach Villemaire | Maine/Arizona
In this 38th installment of our longest running series, we review a high school game with Zach Villemaire, a 3rd-year official living in Arizona. During this break down, we discussed being side-line oriented in trail, stepping out of stacks, and finding the legality of the defender before the contact occurs. โฃ โฃ โฃ
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We also discussed the importance of clear and concise communication, such as using the correct sequence of signals for layered plays. Finally, we empasize the value of patience and how it's a foundational quality that transfers across all skill sets.โฃ
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Patreon.com/crownrefsโฃ
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๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒโฃ
https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/new_york/hartsdale/crown-refsโฃ
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Mar 21, 2023 โข 43min
#307 The Porsha and Pauly Pod |feat Porsha Waddey | Episode 2
In this episode, Porsche and Pauly discuss the importance of sharing knowledge and being a teacher, regardless of whether or not you consider yourself an expert. They emphasize the value of being confident in what you know and being open to learning from others to improve as an official, a leader, and a person. They also touch on the importance of being able to say "I don't know" and the power of admitting your limitations.โฃ
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Throughout the episode, Porsche and Paulie provide examples from their own experiences as officials and coaches, sharing tips and advice for how to effectively share your knowledge with others. They also discuss the role of confidence and self-esteem in teaching and learning, and how taking advantage of opportunities to teach others can help you become a better official and a better person overall. โฃ
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Listeners will come away from this episode with a better understanding of the importance of sharing knowledge and being a teacher, and with practical tips and advice for how to do so effectively.โฃ
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Patreon.com/crownrefsโฃ
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๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟโฃ
https://conta.cc/3IOL2d1โฃ
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Refereestore.com/crownrefs

Mar 19, 2023 โข 43min
#306 The Porsha & Pauly Pod | feat Porsha Waddey | Episode 1
In this episode, the hosts discuss some recent games that one of them officiated, including an encounter with a coach who was unhappy with a decision. The hosts discuss how to handle these situations and give some advice on how to defuse the situation and move on. They also touch on the importance of positive self-talk and not judging oneself or others during the game.โฃ
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We also talk about a game with a new partner who was disengaged and unprofessional. We discussed the importance of being a good partner and how to navigate working with someone who doesn't care, as well as not being too judgmental of others. Overall, the episode offers useful tips for handling difficult situations in officiating and emphasizes the importance of staying positive and being a good partner.โฃ
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๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ป ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐โฃ
Patreon.com/crownrefsโฃ
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๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟโฃ
https://conta.cc/3IOL2d1โฃ
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๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟโฃ
Refereestore.com/crownrefs