P.J. Pitts of Bridgeton is the winner of the 2023 IBCA Mildred Ball Award.
Now in his 29th season as an official, Pitts began officiating in 1995 and has extensive state tournament experience for boys’ basketball and girls’ basketball. For boys, he has worked 20 sectionals, 14 regionals, seven semi-states and four State Finals (2009, 2013, 2016 and 2020). For girls, he has called 23 sectionals, 16 regionals, nine semi-states and five State Finals (2009, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2022).
Pitts, a 29-year member of the Wabash Valley Officials Association and a two-year member of the Western Indiana Officials Association, also has worked as a football official and volleyball official, and he has been a part of crews that twice called the football State Finals (2015 and 2018). He has served as president of the WVOA for four years and eight years as a board member.
In 2019, Pitts was selected as the IHSAA’s Official of the Year in boys’ basketball. Officials receiving this honor are selected by a committee representing the 24 officials associations in Indiana and have gone above and beyond to serve their community and the IHSAA.
In receiving the Mildred Ball Award, Pitts expressed thanks to the late Don Corey, his officiating mentor and 2005 IHSAA Official of the Year in girls’ basketball, as well as 29-year partner Mark Hopper, the 2018 IHSAA Official of the Year in girls’ basketball, the 2022 IHSAA Official of the Year in boys’ basketball and the 2022 NFHS Section 4 Official of the Year.
A 1994 graduate of West Vigo High School, Pitts played basketball for the Vikings and coach Steve DeGroote. He went on to earn an associate’s degree in business management from Ivy Tech Community College in Terre Haute in 1996.
Professionally, Pitts has been the supervisor of transportation for the Vigo County School Corporation for the past five years. He previously worked as operations manager at Heavy Duty Truck in Terre Haute. He also has been an active volunteer in the community over the years for programs including West Terre Haute Brush Up and Clean Up the Community Environmental Day.
Pitts and his wife, Ashley, are parents to five children – Lexi, 19; Kayleigh, 17; Kenzie, 15; Jackson, 11; and Ryleigh, 10. In his free time, Pitts enjoys fishing, hunting and spending time with family.
IBCA/MILDRED BALL AWARD
Mildred Morgan Ball served as an IHSAA assistant commissioner from 1977 through 1997, responsible for the licensing and training of contest officials. In addition, she worked with the National Federation of State High School Associations' rules committee. Ball is a 1953 graduate of Gary Roosevelt High School and a 1960 graduate of Indiana University. She was a teacher at East Chicago Washington High School for 17 years before joining the IHSAA staff. Ball was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998, and she was the 2022 recipient of the Richard G. Lugar Award for Distinguished Service. She also is a recipient of the Sagamore of the Wabash, the Benjamin Hooks Award from the NAACP, the John Endwright Distinguished Alumni Service Award from IU's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation in 1996, a Distinguished Alumni Service Award from IU in 2005 as well as other awards from the National Federation of State High School Associations, the Indiana Association of Athletic Officials and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. The IBCA has presented an award to an outstanding basketball official in Mildred Ball's name since 1997.
- 1997: Theresia Wynns, Indianapolis
- 1998: Sue Ross, Fort Wayne
- 1999: Judy Schneider, Indianapolis
- 2000: Mike Crouch, Marion
- 2001: Tim Smith, Mentone
- 2002: Rhonda McGee, Floyds Knobs
- 2003: Rosie Leedy, Thorntown
- 2004: Barbara Guhl, Indianapolis
- 2005: Greta Hawvermale, Indianapolis
- 2006: Patty Broderick, Indianapolis
- 2007: John Patterson, Indianapolis
- 2008: Gene Butts, Warsaw
- 2009: Kim Yelich, Schererville
- 2010: Judy Phillips, Indianapolis
- 2011: Kelly Dennis, Whiteland
- 2012: Roger Holder, Greenfield
- 2013: Mike Smith, New Palestine
- 2014: Phil Vidito, Indianapolis
- 2015: Jay Smith, Syracuse
- 2016: Bob Frye, Indianapolis
- 2017: Larry Sintz, Brookville
- 2018: Michael Zehr, Dubois
- 2019: Andy Simpson, Crown Point
- 2020: Gary Wier, Plainville
- 2021: no winner named (winner from 2020 honored in 2021 because of COVID-19 pandemic).
- 2022: Michael Stoffers, Terre Haute
- 2023: Ron Day, Plymouth
- 2024: P.J. Pitts, Bridgeton
