Umpiring Journey – Katie Howell
30th September 2019
Without Umpires there can be no Netball. Umpires are key to ensuring match standards are upheld and safety is ensured. As the game in Scotland develops at an astounding pace, and players are getting faster and stronger, high quality Umpiring at all levels is now more essential than ever in helping us reach our vision for Netball in Scotland to be a thriving, world class sport.
The Umpiring pathway is open to anyone over the age of 13, irrespective of ability or experience of playing netball, so long as you have a passion for the sport, and can complete Netball Scotland’s Online Introduction to Umpiring, you can begin your journey on the Umpiring pathway. You could be a current or ex player with a wealth of experience at various levels, or someone who has always wanted to get started and just didn’t know where. #SheCanSheWill
Katie Howell is a perfect example of an umpire with a player’s background who’s #ChangingTheGame. Her career began when she was asked to pick up a whistle at training, and after chatting with current umpires at her club, she signed up for the Online Introduction to Umpiring course.
C UMPIRE AWARD
With the successful completion of the online course she embarked on earning her C Umpire award. For Katie the road to becoming a C Umpire was bumpy, nerves and the fear of making mistakes left her doubting her abilities, a pretty common feeling for anyone embarking on something new.
But as Katie states this experience was a learning curve: “The more you pick up the whistle and make mistakes the more you learn. I’ve learned so many rules that I haven’t forgotten through making mistakes – on my C paper, at training and during matches.”
The key for Katie to overcoming self-doubt and seeing real improvements in her own Umpiring was down to practice, every week at club level she made sure to #GetInvolved with Umpiring duties at the club. Through this cooperation and her own hard work and persistence Katie achieved her C award.
As Katie states: “Achieving my C award was brilliant, but also slightly terrifying, as I was now a qualified umpire…I always felt that if you could pick up a whistle at training, surrounded by friends, and could pick them up for breaking the rules, then when it came to umpiring people you didn’t know it was easier.”
B UMPIRE AWARD
The next step for Katie was achieving her B Umpire Qualification. This B Umpire Assessment is perfect for those officiating in local or regional leagues.
“I didn’t want to stop with just my C award. I wanted to develop and the Glasgow League where I was playing, and umpiring was trying to push for umpires to be B level umpires to support the players as they continued to play to a higher standard.”
On the road to her B umpire Award Communication with other existing Umpires made a difference huge difference for Katie, simply asking questions or running through scenarios made her feel more prepared.
“I still remember being so nervous on my first game out! I got myself on to the Glasgow League mentor program which was the best thing ever. You were supported by more experienced umpires who would come out and see you a couple of times in a season. Knowing you had somewhere to turn to ask questions was so helpful.”
The B Umpire award is focused on positioning, vision and timing – three words that shape everything an Umpire has to do. The pathway to becoming a B Umpire opened up a new range of opportunities for Katie but it didn’t happen overnight
“It took me about 2 years to go from my C award to my B. Once I had my B it was all about building up the games and umpiring in higher divisions to increase confidence and umpire to that higher standard.”
This is why Katie became more involved with Netball Scotland and #TeamEducation starting to Umpire for U15’s and U17’s. Katie, by putting herself out there began to grow her name which opened up more opportunities for her to Umpire in these higher divisions.
A UMPIRE AWARD
Determined to grow her game further, Katie continued her Umpiring journey to becoming an A umpire. The A Umpire Assessment is perfect for those who are looking to progress their umpiring and look at performance and international matches.
The road to becoming an A umpire was a bumpy one with the transition from the ‘old’ to the ‘new’ Umpiring rules along the way. Katie was progressing through her A award just as injury law and game management became more prominent in the game, it forced her to think more about protocols and develop her style.
As Katie states: “It took me 4 and a half years to go from passing my B to passing my A. The journey to becoming an A umpire is tough! The paper makes you think about the rules in much more depth and you can find yourself overthinking things, at least I did”
However, despite her reservations, Katie managed to pass her A Paper first time which gave her a timeframe to work within to develop and focus on the practical aspects of Umpiring and chasing those high-level games.
“I got some great opportunities as I went on this journey – invited to umpire development academies, Scotland trials (U17s, 21s and Thistles) and National Finals Days. The best opportunity by far was being put forward for (and being accepted for) umpiring at Netball Europe’s U17 Challenge Event in Gibraltar this year. That experience was so amazing and one I’ll never forget.”
Even at what most would consider the top of her game, Katie has no intentions of slowing down, and continues to grow her own and others’ games.
“Even now that I have my A it doesn’t mean you stop. I’m still striving to be the best umpire I can be so I’m still working with my mentors to do this.”
Katie’s journey is a true inspiration to those on their own Umpiring journey, whether you’re just beginning or are already on the pathway. As a female leader Katie is #ChangingTheGame and is proof that dedication, passion and a love of netball can achieve more than we think is possible. #SheCanSheWill
A massive thank you to Katie for sharing her journey with us!
If you want to #GetInvolved yourself just click here to find out more about #TeamEducation’s Umpiring pathway.
