UMPIRE NUMBERS RISE TO RECORD LEVELS, CNC Media The pursuit of umpiring as a sport is growing fast at the Christchurch Netball Centre. And the ranks of qualified umpires has grown substantially in 2014 to prove it. The number of qualified umpires has grown from 85 at the start of the season to more than 120 at season’s end a substantial 20 per cent increase. These numbers include 17 New Zealand umpires who are eligible to be selected for any Netball New Zealand Tournament including age group, national championships or even, depending on ranking ANZ or College Netball games. Former umpire and successful Premier 1 Kereru A coach, David Pala’amo’s experience is testament to how far umpiring can take you in the sport. David was appointed to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games as part of a three-person International Testing Panel, tasked with the coaching and allocating of umpires across the eleven days of netball competition. Former umpire Mandy Nottingham is also an International Tester. For rising umpires Jamie Smith and Aleisha Whitehead who were appointed to a grade final at the recent South Island Secondary Schools Tournament in Invercargill, umpiring is their sport and the Christchurch Netball Centre is providing them a pathway. Jamie Manuel and Jess Power are also making their way through the ranks and along with Jane Hickmott and Lyndon Endicott-Davies have been appointed to officiate at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships this October. Olivia Kennedy is Reserve for this tournament. Kay Norris is the Christchurch Netball Centres Game Officials Coordinator and Umpire Allocator. She puts the increasing number of umpires down to the number of young people coming into umpiring and the hard work of umpire coaches at all levels. Of the 42 Centre Umpires the Centre now has, almost a third gained accreditation this year. A result Kay Norris says is a credit to the Centre Panel of 11, lead by Sue Tait, who not only work as assessors, but umpire coaches as well. Both umpires and bench officials were recognised for their efforts at an end of season prizegiving. Kathryn Gaze and Kate Fraser took out awards for Most Improved and Most Promising umpires respectively. Sharlene Jordan was recognised for her service to umpiring and Jan Hansen received the Bench Officials award.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 19:58:35 +0000
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