Basketball referees Dorothy Okatch and Deanna Jackson work in a setting where decisions are fast, visible and frequently contested. Every call they make is observed by players, coaches and spectators. They cannot pause the game for a long discussion, and neither referee can see everything happening across the court. Their partnership therefore depends on something deeper than simply getting along. They must trust each other’s judgement while the pressure is on.
Their experience offers a practical response to the familiar myth that women cannot work effectively together. Dorothy and Deanna do not spend their energy competing for authority or trying to prove which of them is more capable. They understand that the game needs both of them. Each brings a different position, perspective and responsibility to the court.
In basketball, referees move between lead and trail positions. The lead referee works closer to the baseline, while the trail referee sees the game from another angle. Their positions keep changing as the players move. This means that working together cannot depend on one fixed division of responsibility. Each referee must understand what she can see, what her colleague can see and when she needs to trust the other person’s view.
That trust is built gradually. Working together repeatedly allows Dorothy and Deanna to learn how the other responds under pressure. They begin to recognise when to step forward, when to offer support and when to leave space for the other person to make the call. They do not need to respond identically to every situation. Their differences become useful because they understand how to work with them.
The same understanding extends beyond the court. Dorothy knows when Deanna may be the right person to carry a difficult message to somebody else. Deanna may be able to reach someone who would not respond in the same way to Dorothy, and the opposite may also be true. Instead of treating this as a weakness, they use their knowledge of each other to communicate more effectively.
I know when to come to you. I know how you’re going to act in certain situations. I know if I need to get my message clearly to person X, you’re the one I should go through because you’ll be able to get that message through. – Dorothy Okatch
This kind of partnership requires honesty. Trust does not mean avoiding feedback or pretending that every decision is right. It means creating a relationship in which feedback can be given and received without becoming a contest. Both women remain responsible for their own decisions while knowing that the other person is there to help them see what they may have missed.
Dorothy and Deanna show that being better together does not require women to become the same. It requires role clarity, communication and respect for what each person brings. It also requires the confidence to rely on another woman’s judgment without feeling that doing so diminishes your own.
Being better together is not a slogan. It is something women build through repeated acts of trust: sharing responsibility, communicating clearly, offering honest feedback and standing beside one another when the pressure is on.
Listen to the full episode of the Women Emerging Podcast to hear Dorothy Okatch and Deanna Jackson explore how trust, communication and an understanding of each other’s strengths allow women to work powerfully together.
