THERE are times when Emma Day blows the whistle and senior players on court seem surprised a youngster is pulling them up.
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The 17-year-old has a wealth of netball umpiring experience – and is now one of just a few netball umpires in Ballarat to have earned a B-grade badge.
“Players quickly realise I know what to do,” Emma said.
“It can be intimidating out there sometimes but I don’t take offence to it.
“I am confident in what I am doing.”
Emma has been umpiring the game since she was about 12 years old.
She got her C-grade badge a while ago but moving up a level meant earning lots more game experience, mentoring and assessment from Eureka Netball Club, Ballarat Netball Association and Netball Victoria.
Emma said she tried to learn and absorb as much as she could from mentoring sessions and critiqued feedback.
An umpire shortage across the region means Emma definitely gets a wealth of experience in all different levels competition.
This year, Emma even played under-19s with Ballarat Swans in the Ballarat Football Netball League, then changed into her whites to officiate A and A-reserve matches.
“I think it’s a massive bonus that I’ve always played netball,” Emma said.
“I’ve represented the BNA in 13, 15 and 17-and-under talent squads.
“For me, umpiring is easy to pick up because I know how to read the game as it comes down the court.
“I get coaching to keep improving, like in my positioning on court.”
Emma encouraged others to get involved in the other side of netball and take up umpiring as a hobby, rather than just filling in to help club matches, because better umpires meant a better standard of the game across Ballarat.
She said umpiring helped with confidence and developing interpersonal skills.
Plus, umpiring gave her a little extra money just for being involved in the game she loved.