Name: Stephanie Drysdale
Age: 29
Club/Association: Kununurra Netball Association
Badge and Role at Association: B Badge, and Secretary
Give us a snap shot of your umpiring achievements so far:
- Commenced Umpiring in April 2017, the start of the 2017 Netball Season
- In June 2018, I travelled to North West Champs to umpire, where I received my C Badge, got to umpire the U12’s grand final and was TID to be part of the NW umpiring squad.
- In June 2019, I went again to North West Champs to umpire. This is where I received my B Badge, I was also selected to Umpire the Opens Div 2 grand final. I was awarded Umpire of the Meet, and TID as part of the umpiring squad.
Why did you start umpiring?
I had started playing netball socially when I moved to Kununurra in 2012, fast forward 5 years and I wasn’t enjoy playing as much as I used to, and it was getting a little hard on the body. I still wanted to be involved in the game and thought I would give umpiring a try. I started it as something I could do for fitness, a new skill to learn, and still be involved in the game without playing. I thought Netball umpiring would be a skill I could continue to improve at, develop in, and learn from, and take with me where ever I moved to in the future.
What do you love most about umpiring?
I love that umpiring has allowed me to be able to travel around to competitions and championships in different towns and cities. In doing this I have been able to co-umpire with and learn from umpires from all different locations and walks of life. I have made many new friends through umpiring. I know that any where I travel to on holidays, if it is during netball season associations will welcome you with open arms to come and umpire a game. I also love that umpiring allows me to still be involved in Netball and give back to the sport, when being a player might not be as enjoyable or possible anymore. I love that with being an umpire there is no limit to how much you can continue to learn, develop and grow.
How has being an umpire benefitted you?
Being an umpire has benefitted me in many ways both on and off the netball court. Umpiring has given me a greater and more in depth understanding of netball and grown my love for the game. It has given me increased fitness, increased energy, and mental health benefits. Umpiring is a great way to clear your mind and reduce stress and anxiety; as for a whole hour (or a couple if you do 2 games) your mind is just focusing on the netball game in front of you. It is a great distraction and focus point for the mind. Umpiring has increased my self-confidence in my every day life as well, not just on the court. It has made me more decisive, more confident, and increased my self-esteem.
What piece of umpiring advice would you like to pass on to beginner umpires?
We are all friendly and love helping new umpires get into the game. Find an umpire to either run along with or get them to run along with you whilst you learn the ropes and gain confidence. Find a mentor to help answer any questions, and help you grow and develop as an umpire. Don’t be scared to make mistakes, we are all human; and players and umpires alike all make mistakes, it is how we learn. Your umpiring confidence will grow, and you will feel more comfortable, the more you do it, you just need to pick up that whistle and give it a go. You have nothing to lose by giving it a go.
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