ONE of the Hamilton Basketball Association’s brightest young referees has been acknowledged with the Doug Palmer Award for most improved referee, as Grace Cleaver continues to ply her trade.

Cleaver received the award during the association’s senior grand final night proceedings last Wednesday and after three years officiating the sport, Cleaver said

“It was really nice to get the award, there is only one per season,” she said.

A prominent player in her own right, Cleaver has embraced her role as an official and said it was the perfect way to stay involved in the sport.

“I kind of did it because I was starting to look for a job … and I was already up here with all of my basketball anyway,” she said.

“It has been really good, you make a family with all the other referees … it is really a home away from home.”

Winning the award acknowledges her effort over her time and said all the referees shared a tight bond during each season.

“All the A grade and higher refs have been great,” he said.

“No plans to hang on the shirt, I plan to go through until I can no longer keep going.

“It has paid off for the hard work over three and a half years for me.”

It caps off a strong season for Cleaver, who looks ahead to the next season as both a player and a referee, with games scheduled to get underway again next month.