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AllFlying |
Champions of
the game
Often forgotten but
always central to the game, the umpire is the unsung champion of netball. Sarah
Watson has a look at how to get started…
 In
the hustle and action of a fast netball game, it's all too easy to forget the
contribution of the umpire. But without them, the game simply doesn't happen.
For many, it's a great way to keep in touch with the game while providing some
real challenges. Netball Australia offers training to would-be umpires, which
consists of a three-hour practical and theory course.
Elle Goss, a 20 year old student, under went this course before taking the court
as an umpire at age 15. Although her original motivation at this time was
the money she received, Goss grew to appreciate the greater fulfillment that
umpiring junior netball can offer.
She found umpiring at a junior level of netball to be reward. "The
reward of watching the kids grow and improve over the season was far greater
than any of the money that I received," said Goss.
The only aspect she found hard was gaining respect as a junior umpire from the
parents, who at times saw themselves as superior. "The parents don't
think their children can do anything wrong sometimes. They
like to think their child is perfect," she said. However the
positives of being an umpire far out weighed any negatives.
In order for an umpire, such as Elle Goss, to improve knowledge and skills they
are encouraged to gain their level one accreditation. This involves a
four-hour course with practical elements and a theory exam following the
completion of the course.
Many umpires can and will stop here. Those who want to umpire at a higher level
will go through to complete the 'C' and 'B' Badge accreditation. The umpires
attempting this will have their umpiring assessed during a game and need to
demonstrate various skills depending on the accreditation that they are trying
to achieve.
Following this the umpires will sit a theory exam. A 'C' badged umpire will need
to gain 70 per cent to pass and an someone sitting the exam for the 'B' badge
award will need 80 per cent. This is exactly what 43 year old
Janis Smitten has completed and now with ten years of experience umpires junior,
senior and country league football matches and finals.
From humble beginnings as a parent watching and coaching her two daughters
netball teams, Smitten decided she wanted to get more involved in the game and
gain a greater understanding of the umpiring role in netball.
"I already had coached various netball teams and had witnessed both good
and bad umpiring," says Smitten. "I wanted to see how I would
shape up if put in their shoes."
Like Goss, Smitten believes that the only negative point surrounding umpiring
can be when some players and spectators try to intimidate the umpire if a
decision doesn't go in their favour. However her experience reminds her
that without her umpiring a game could not be played.
"Younger umpires seem to have more trouble with the parents watching their
children," said Smitten referring to Goss' situation. "The
spectators need to understand that we are doing our best and intimidating or
slandering umpires is only going to make matters worse for everyone involved,
including the players."
As an umpire Smitten's goal is to achieve her 'A' badge accreditation, which may
in turn allow her to umpire at a state level. An 'A' badge is achieved
through a practical assessment where the umpire must show an advanced level of
knowledge and skills and sit an exam in which they need 90 per cent to pass.
The only accreditation higher than the 'A' badge is the 'AA', which has a
similar assessment to the 'A' evaluation. For this accreditation an umpire must
have the 'A' badge as a prerequisite before attempting their 'AA' umpiring
badge.
Most umpires that practice at the highest level of netball are qualified with
either of these two accreditations, with most international netball games being
umpired by those with the 'AA' badge. Although Smitten aspires to continue
advancing in her umpiring field she doesn't see this as the only reward for her
hard work.
"The best reward is the feeling of being involved in the game and watching
many young players evolve in strong netballers," said Smitten. Many
umpires all around Australia share this general feeling of appreciation toward
the umpiring profession.
Many umpiring training programs such as those completed by Elle Goss and Janis
Smitten run throughout Australia at various times of the year.
By Sarah Watson
Nov 2005
Links
Netball Australia: www.netball.asn.au
Netball Victoria: www.netballvic.com.au
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