The 33-year-old obtained his IWBF international Referee License at the Americas Cup
When Ardavan Eizadirad moved to Toronto from Iran as a nine-year-old, his father told him to pick a sport to play – Eizadirad chose basketball since it’s played indoors, and he could play year-round.
His love for basketball eventually led him to officiating the game, and 24 years later, Eizadirad is just the third active Canadian with an IWBF international Referee License – a feat he accomplished recently at the Americas Cup in São Paulo, Brazil.
“It was such a great honour to join the IWBF family by getting an international card,” Eizadirad said. “I know many of the referees from volunteering and working the tables at the 2015 Pan Am Games and 2017 Under 23 World Championships, so being able to be on the floor with them was an honour. It was also great to further develop those friendships and relationships with friends and colleagues across the Americas.”
Eizadirad, who played basketball competitively at the club level and AAU growing up, turned to officiating at a young age. Though his focus was on playing, when the time came to decide between coaching or officiating to remain involved in the game, Eizadirad chose to stick with refereeing.
The 33-year-old’s first exposure to wheelchair basketball came thanks to a friend in the game.
“A good friend of mine, Jonathan Smith, who does wheelchair basketball locally, called me one day and said that his partner had cancelled on him, he needed another referee, and that it was a wheelchair game,” Eizadirad recalled. “I told him, ‘I’ve never even seen a wheelchair basketball game before.’ He said, ‘Well, you understand the positioning, and I’ll walk you through it, and you’ll see if you like it.’
“I was really amazed by it. I love the competitive nature of it, and I love the culture around it. It’s a much more inclusive and positive culture from the athletes to the coaches, but still very competitive, so I fell in love with it. Over time, I put in my time to learn the game and became more involved.”
Now in his 10th year of officiating the game, Eizadirad is focused on giving back to the next generation of officials.
“I think getting the IWBF international card was really an accumulation of the 10 years of work I have put into this,” he said. “Now I have to put more work into it because I want to become a role model for others. It’s a privilege and honour, but you have to pay it forward to others coming after you to make sure they are ready, and they are ready when the opportunity comes.
“I’ve met so many people from all walks of life and ages who I can call friends locally, provincially, and across Canada. What happens off the court is the best part of officiating – it’s those friendships and relationships that you build. But, of course, to get higher and elite opportunities, you have to be a student of the game, always have a growth mindset, and be willing to learn from your mistakes and be involved consistently.”
Off the court, Eizadirad is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at Wilfrid Laurier University, where he conducts research around equity, diversity, and inclusion issues, both in education as well as in sports.
“I see research as a form of advocacy and awareness,” he said. “For me, it’s about using those platforms to make people aware of issues. Sports is a great equalizer in many ways, but it’s not all fancy and inclusive all the time, either.”