Junior Umpire Workshop a WA Football FirstMonday, February 27, 2023 - 3:17 PM

A new initiative to help attract and retain umpires in junior football has been launched. 

In a WA football first, the workshop engaged all junior umpire coaches in the metropolitan area. 

Facilitated by leadership consultant Matt Angus, nearly 40 junior umpiring coaches attended the event at Ernest Johnson Oval in South Perth. 

Head of Umpiring at the WAFC, David Crute believes the workshop will have a significant impact on the umpiring fraternity. 

“What was really pleasing was how Matt was able to tie everything back to our Cultural Charter.

We’re convinced that investing in our coaches will lead to a better club environment which is a critical factor in improving umpiring retention rates. 

Improving retention rates will help us achieve our vision of having more engaged Umpires than the game requires,” Crute said. 

The workshop’s theme was “fostering a love for umpiring”, with coaches discussing how to create environments that emphasise fun, enjoyment and the development of fundamental umpiring skills.

Attendees explored how to cater to the motivations of junior umpires and brainstormed how to rethink the training environment to maximise engagement.

Collaboration was also a key component of the workshop, with umpire coaches able to share experiences and ideas with colleagues from other junior umpiring clubs. 

Gerry O’Dea, WAFC Junior Umpiring Specialist, was delighted with the feedback from those who attended. 

“This was a fantastic way to start the season, and each Umpire Manager and coach should be commended for the enthusiastic and professional way they approached the workshop.  

This now gives us a strong launchpad to kick off the season,” he said.

Dan Gibbons, WAFC Umpire Coaching and Talent Pathway Coordinator, believes on field decision making is just one element of the role. 

“Umpiring WA is committed to supporting our Umpire Coaches who all play a critical role in providing positive environments for the development of our officials. 

It’s important that we all have a good understanding of what motivates a person to umpire and how we can tailor our training and game day environment to best engage and support them,” Gibbons said. 

Umpire Coaches reported strong engagement with the workshop and said that it changed the way they thought about umpire retention. 

Coaches in attendance also indicated their increased enthusiasm and excitement for the season on the back of the workshop. 

As the season gets underway, Umpiring WA facilitators will also be rolling out a support program for junior umpires which helps them develop their motivation and connection to umpiring. 

These programs are part of Umpiring WA’s commitment to supporting the development of junior umpires. 

This commitment includes increased funding towards junior community umpiring clubs. 

As a result, an additional 20 administrators and umpire coaches have already been appointed across the nine clubs.

There will be follow-up workshops for all Umpire Coaches in March where they will continue to discuss strategies and ideas for coaching junior umpires.