Have you ever wondered how umpires get from starting their umpiring career as a ‘Green Shirt’ to the ultimate sporting arena in Australia, the AFL?
We all have pondered this question at one point in time. Now the Umpires Association in consultation with the junior umpiring groups and the Umpire Development Manger have come up with a flow chart to show that a pathway for umpires from being a junior umpire to umpiring in the AFL does exist.
This ‘pathway’ has always been spoken of, but there has been little tangible evidence that there has been a commitment to making sure umpires who have aspirations about achieving AFL selection have an opportunity to do so.
The Umpires Association have now developed this flow chart and are working co-operatively with the junior umpiring managers on the Central Coast and in Newcastle to identify and mentor junior umpires along the ‘umpiring pathway’.
With numbers at a low point within the BDAFL competition, the ‘umpiring pathway’ will play an integral role in making sure that we develop junior umpires over the next 3 to 5 years to fill vacant umpire appointments within the BDAFL competition in the future.
This ‘umpiring pathway’ is just one important aspect of umpire recruitment and retention the Umpires Association is implementing that will see umpiring numbers increase over the foreseeable future.
Last Modified on 17/03/2009 10:18