Parke County official to be honored by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association

Game officials Scott Arthur and P.J. Pitts will be recognized with special awards in 2024 by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

Arthur and Pitts will be honored as respective winners of the Roy Gardner and Mildred Ball awards as outstanding officials throughout long careers on the hardwood. The two officials are being cited for their work impacting the game floor, Arthur from 1992 to the present and Pitts from 1995 to the present.

Arthur is in his 32nd season as an official, including four times in the boys' basketball State Finals and four times in the girls' basketball State Finals while a member of the Southwestern Indiana Officials Association. The Loogootee resident served as the SWIOA basketball chairman for four years and was an IHSAA certification clinician for eight years. He also has been a baseball umpire for 23 years and worked four State Finals in that sport.

Pitts, a Bridgeton resident, is in his 29th season as an official. He has worked the boys' basketball State Finals four times and the girls' basketball State Finals five times. He has been a member of the Wabash Valley Officials Association for 29 years and the Western Indiana Officials Association for two years. He served four years at WVOA president and eight years as a board member. Pitts also has been a football official, twice working the State Finals, and a volleyball official.

The Gardner Award is named after the late Roy Gardner, a Lawrenceburg native, Ball State graduate and former Batesville High School math teacher who worked three boys' basketball State Finals and officiated in the Big Ten from 1959-69. He passed away in 1977, and the IBCA has presented an award in his name since 1978. Gardner was inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Ripley County Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.

The Ball Award is named after Mildred Morgan Ball, a graduate of Gary Roosevelt High School and Indiana University who served as an IHSAA assistant commissioner from 1977-97. During her time at the IHSAA, Ball was responsible for licensing and training of contest officials and also worked with the National Federation of High School Associations rules committee. The IBCA has presented an award in her name since 1997. 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.

Arthur and Pitts each will receive his award during the IBCA's annual clinic on April 25-26 at Mt. Vernon High School in Fortville. For more information about the IBCA, go to in.nhsbca.org.

2024 IBCA Mildred Ball Award 

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.

2024 IBCA Roy Gardner Award

Scott Arthur of Loogootee is the winner of the 2024 IBCA Roy Gardner Award.

A 1989 graduate of Loogootee High School, Arthur competed in cross country, basketball and baseball – teams that won one basketball regional and two baseball sectionals. He initially went to Hanover College, then transferred to the University of Evansville, earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1994.

Arthur began officiating in 1992 while a college student. Over the years, he has worked 27 sectionals, 18 regionals, seven semi-states and four State Finals (2011, 2014, 2017 and 2022) in boys’ basketball as well as 22 sectionals, 13 regionals, seven semi-states and four State Finals (2011, 2014, 2017 and 2022) in girls’ basketball. He also has worked four Hall of Fame Classic tournaments, two for boys and two for girls.

A member of the Southwestern Indiana Officials Association for 31 years, Arthur also has been a baseball umpire for 23 years and worked four State Finals in that sport (2004, 2007, 2012 and 2013). He served as the SWIOA basketball chairman for four years and its baseball chairman for five years. He also has operated as an IHSAA certification clinician for eight years.

Arthur was recognized with the IHSAA’s Official of the Year in 2019 for baseball and in 2023 for girls’ basketball. Officials receiving these honors 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.

Professionally, Arthur has worked as a project lead for night-vision equipment at Naval Warfare Center Crane for 25 years. In addition, he is in his sixth season as the varsity baseball coach at Loogootee. He also enjoys to play golf, travel and to attend sporting events in his free time.

Arthur and his wife, Marci, are parents to two adult children – Dylan and Shealyn.