Koopa recently received her National C Badge in umpiring and was selected in the 2023 Fever in Time South West Umpire Program.
She followed in the footsteps of her four older siblings who all played netball, when she started playing at the Leschenault Netball Association at the age of eight.
She quickly found a passion for the sport on the side of the court as an umpire and is now also an umpiring mentor and coach.
Koopa said the clear cut nature of netball rules means umpiring plays into her enjoyment of following the rules in sport.
“Umpiring looked like fun and I thought it would be something I would enjoy as I like to follow rules when playing games,” she said.
“I feel that my disability has helped my ability to be a better umpire as rules are rules and it is clear as an umpire what my job is.”
On the court, Koopa plays netball for the Mercy Leschenault Collie Netball Association and has played representative netball for Leschenault.
Koopa said autism has helped her in ways but it also comes with its challenges.
“I do feel that autism has made my umpiring easier as following rules is what I like to do. I have had to work harder to be the player I am today, finding the right people to support me and work with my differences,” she said.
“I have a few little quirks that only a coach that has an understanding of autism can help with, like voice tone.
“Telling me a skill is not as easy for me to understand, it is better to be shown and I am also very literal so thinking about how you word an instruction is important.
“I play my game well but sometimes struggle with training as it changes weekly and is not as structured as the game.”
Koopa said an understanding coach is vital for including everyone in netball and she’s been lucky to have had coaches that have helped her develop as a player.
“Having a coach or players that don’t understand that I see the world a bit differently is a barrier,” she said.
“I have to say that in the last few years I have been very lucky with coaches, some going out of their way to help me improve.”
Koopa’s advice for other aspiring netballers and umpires with autism is to have a go and reach out to clubs and associations to help get the most out of the sport.
“Be proud of who you are, try something new or seek assistance from your association to find that coach that can help and understand you and embrace your differences,” she said.
“Our disability can be part of what makes us good at the things we love, so my advice is to give netball and umpiring a go.”
