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Shelley in a conference room conducting a workshop.

Your perspective matters: know yourself, be curious about & see others -
Notice the Now
TM.

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ref-ology: The Practice of Refereeing Present.

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Physically. Mentally. Respectfully.

Shelley Russi knows how to make decisions under pressure.

As a trainer and practitioner of mindful habits in the context of officiating, leadership, life coaching and the navigation of daily life, Shelley draws from her vast experience in the world of basketball to foster a culture of fairness and empowerment on and off the court. In service of that goal, she helms three organizations that work interdependently.  

 

ref-ology® is a referee teaching and development program focused on presencing, self-and situational awareness, real-time decision-making, and collaborative teamwork. ref-ology utilizes its branded self-reflection practices, Know the Now™ & refthisplay® to help clients holistically use film review as a mechanism to innovate basketball officiating accuracy. All ref-ology practices are designed in service to cultivating a felt sense of fairness among game participants.

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Third Side Coaching® helps clients integrate new practices and deepen competencies to notice one’s current ecosystem in service to developing long-term personal excellence. Our clients focus on learning insights through their bodies; for our sports clients, attention is given (via film review) to enhancing game performance for both players and teams.

 

Blast Equality Collab™ (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization) is dedicated to working with young people, communities & organizations to provide leadership education & education on the integration and embodiment of equality. We teach modern leadership through the lens of diverse sports experiences. 

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Each enterprise is a part of the whole; serving each human being we work with to feel free to show up in life, work, or a sports game situation in a genuine and authentic way in service to one's ecosystem. Shelley’s background has uniquely positioned her to help her clients self-generate developmental insights. Born into a sporting family, her time on the hardwood was both her playground and training ground. While she has also served diverse communities in higher education, technology, fitness and real estate sales, she’s never been far from the court. Shelley’s more than 30-year career officiating basketball and developing women's and men's officials at all levels of the game has created opportunities for her organizations to work with the NBA, WNBA, the NCAA, International sports engagements, and corporate motivational speaking appearances.

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Shelley’s home base is in Alameda, CA, where she lives with her husband Rahn and their two daughters, Gabriela and Grace. She received her B.A. in Psychology from UCLA and her M.S. in Organizational Psychology from Saint Mary’s College of California. She’s also a practicing Integral Coach® certified by New Venture West, San Francisco.

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Her innovative awareness and accountability methodologies continue to garner  industry-wide attention.

LATEST NEWS

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Blast Equality Collab sponsoring Brad Perez competing in Xfinity race for SS GreenLight

 

James Wallace

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READ HERE

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Creating The Holistic Official


Referee​

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READ HERE

Sports Illustrated

From Technicals to Taunting: What It’s Like to Be a Referee

Robin Lundberg

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READ HERE

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Nets forward Blake Griffin, famous for his dunks, has quietly mastered the art of the charge


Alex Schiffer

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READ HERE

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The NBA's referee whisperers

Ben Dowsett

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READ HERE

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