The University of Alabama’s own Darrell Hargreaves attended the 2024 Paris Paralympics after being selected to represent the U.S. as a wheelchair basketball referee.

This was Hargreaves’ third Paralympics to officiate and his fourth to be invited to. However, the magic and the thrill of the Games burned as bright as ever.

Hargreaves refereed seven games in Paris, one of those being the men’s bronze match between Germany and Canada. Germany came out on top 75-62, making it their first wheelchair basketball medal win in 32 years, a historic moment that Hargreaves said he felt honored to be part of.

The wheelchair basketball games were held in Bercy Arena, the same venue gymnastics and basketball took place in the preceding weeks during the Olympics.

Every single wheelchair basketball game was played in front of a full arena of fans, Hargreaves said. “Eleven days of competition. 31 sold-out games totaling over 500,000 spectators.”

He enjoyed getting to see the familiar faces of former UA athletes competing for their countries.

Over his 20 years of sports officiating, Hargreaves has refereed well over 1,000 games in multiple sports. His passion for the sport runs deep, with roots that can be traced back to playing basketball in high school. It’s his favorite to officiate as well.

“I just love the fast pace,” he said. “I’ve refereed different sports at the high-school level – football, soccer, volleyball – and for me, it’s always the fast-paced action of basketball.”

At the University, Hargreaves is associate director of recreation facility operations as well as a graduate student in the higher education administration program.

“The University of Alabama has been very supportive of my selection to work the Games,” he said. “Not only do I feel like I represent the United States as a referee, but I feel like I represent The University of Alabama as well.”

Hargreaves is also an adjunct with the Department of Kinesiology and teaches KIN 380, a class that serves as a comprehensive training tool for referees, equipping students with the knowledge to understand the world of sports officiating.

“My love for refereeing led me to become an adjunct when I proposed this class,” he said. “I just think the course is a great benefit to our campus.”

Hargreaves expressed gratitude to his UA instructors and supervisors for working with him so he could be part of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

“I truly appreciate their support to be able to seize this opportunity of a lifetime,” he said.