November 6, 2023 – Lombard, IL – Officially Human has partnered with the National Association of Women’s Gymnastics Judges (NAWGJ) it was announced today by Brenda Hilton, Founder & CEO of Officially Human, and Dr. Catherine (Cookie) Batsche, the President of NAWGJ.
Brenda welcomed NAWGJ to Officially Human by saying: “I’m excited to partner with the NAWGJ. While gymnastics is a sport where we traditionally haven’t heard the negative side of fans, we look forward to working with Catherine and her organization to promote a positive environment and preserve the attraction of event judging for generations to come.”
Officially Human CEO Hilton also currently works for a Division I collegiate athletic conference. She spent 11 years with the Summit League (formerly the Mid-Continent conference) and overall 22+ years working in major collegiate officiating.
When asked why NAWGJ was interested in joining Officially Human, Dr. Batsche said: “Gymnastics officials have traditionally been treated with respect by coaches, spectators, and athletes. Recently the climate has begun to change and we want to be proactive in supporting officials so that our sport continues to offer a positive and welcoming environment for all who participate. Our focus will be on women’s gymnastics judges at all levels: recreational, age-group, elite, high school, adult, and collegiate programs. We look forward to working with Officially Human to provide outreach and educational activities that promote the positive treatment of all officials so that the culture of sport earns a perfect 10.00.”
ABOUT OFFICIALLY HUMAN
Based in Lombard, IL, Officially Human was founded to restore respect to, and positive treatment of, sport officials through increased education and communication to all stakeholders (administrators, coaches, athletes, and fans.) Founded in 2019, Officially Human is the leader in addressing the growing crisis in officiating that touches every sport, official, and level of competition. Officially Human offers tailored solutions to athletic host organizations of all sizes that improve the stakeholder experience at each of their sporting competitions. The comprehensive solutions package includes digital education, awareness building, event host communication strategies, and organizational support in addressing poor fan behavior. To learn more about Officially Human, visit officiallyhuman.com.
ABOUT NAWGJ
The mission of National Association of Women’s Gymnastics Judges is to provide professional development for its members and to support and promote women’s gymnastics in the United States. We accomplish our mission by providing the membership with education, communication, and representation; by assigning officials for more than 20 organizations, and by providing other services to the gymnastics community. NAWGJ has over 2,200 members and makes more than 23,000 judging assignments throughout the United States each year. NAWGJ is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization and is operated by judges who volunteer their time to accomplish the NAWGJ mission.
