About this episode

Brenda Hilton discusses her work with Officially Human and the challenges facing sports officials today.

Brenda Hilton returns to the Crown Refs Podcast for a thoughtful conversation about her pioneering work through Officially Human and the long-term mission of restoring respect for sports officials. Brenda shares the evolution of the organization from its early days to its current nonprofit model, reflecting on the growing reach of its message, the importance of fundraising with purpose, and the latest initiatives helping humanize officials across the country. A major highlight of the conversation is the launch and success of Officially Human’s new activity book , a creative and impactful tool designed to introduce young people to officiating, explain multiple sports in a kid-friendly way, and show a new generation that officials are real people with stories, purpose, and value. The episode also touches on Officially Human’s expanding partnerships with college conferences, digital learning programs, downloadable resources, and its broader vision for 2026 and beyond. The conversation goes far beyond updates, though, and gets into the heart of the officiating experience today. Brenda and Paul discuss the ongoing decline in sportsmanship, why abuse toward officials has not improved…

People in this episode

Host: Paul Diasparra

Guest: Brenda Hilton

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Officially Human

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