NC School for the Deaf implements technology to give deaf athletes a visual cue when whistle blows

For deaf basketball players, knowing when the referee calls a foul, traveling, or another violation can be difficult since half the signal is the sound of a whistle.

Missing that signal can, in some cases, lead to injuries.

That’s something the Enforcer Whistle aims to stop.

When the referee sounds the Enforcer Whistle using a controller, not only does it blast the noise for hearing athletes, it also causes LED lights on the basketball goals at either side of the gym to flash red.

Students at the North Carolina School for the Deaf (NCSD) will be the first to experience the Enforcer Whistle, a new system created by husband-wife team Dr. Demetrice and Shaunti Phillips.

Interim Athletic Director Tom Riley said it will give NCSD students, who rely on their eyesight, a clear, visual cue.

The system will be set up in the McCord Gym, where elementary and middle school teams play sports, Riley said, because there are not yet enough high school students for a team.

Once this group of middle school students move on to high school, Riley hopes to install the Enforcer Whistle at the campus’ other gym as well.

“I ran a PE class just to see how it worked, and we brought some deaf staff to observe (and) to give comments, because I’m hearing. So, I can give you my perspective, but the best perspective is from someone who is deaf and has played, coached, (and/or been a referee) to give that feedback that he (Demetrice) needs,” Riley said.

Demetrice said he and Shaunti were inspired to create the system when one of their sons was nearly injured during an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball tournament when he did not hear the whistle. Their son is hearing, but the AAU tournament had multiple games going on at the same time, Demetrice said, making it difficult to hear the whistle.

Riley said Demetrice and Shaunti reached out to NCSD first, offering to let the school try the system before its official release.

Riley’s comment on the Enforcer Whistle is on the front page of enforcerwhistle.com.

“I had the opportunity to see the Enforcer Whistle in action when Dr. Phillips visited the North Carolina School for the Deaf,” Riley said in his comment. “The technology is truly game-changing and has the potential to create a more inclusive, accessible, and safer environment for all athletes.”