By: Amelia Barnes
It’s been a massive year for Geelong-based netball umpire Emily Green.
This time last year, Green had never umpired a netball game in Melbourne. Now, she heads to the city regularly as a member of the VNL Umpiring Squad — and it all started with the 2021 Origin Association Championships.
The Association Championships returns to Victoria’s Central East, Central West, Eastern, North, East, Northern, and Western regions from this month. The annual event is a crucial part of the Netball Victoria pathway for talent identifying up and coming athletes, coaches, and umpires.
Green knows the opportunities of Association Championships after being coached and talented identified at the Central West event last year. Prior to the tournament, Green had been umpiring locally in Geelong from 14 years of age, following her mum’s advice to attain a C badge. “Once I had it, she was happy for me to stop umpiring, but I wanted to keep going,” said Green.
Green was coached by two Netball Victoria mentors at Association Championships who offered personalised advice to advance her umpiring.
“The advice I got from the coaches was completely new to me and it was very specific to my own umpiring — advice like making my stance on the baseline narrower so I would be able to take off quicker if there was a turnover,” she said. “It meant that I was learning more about ways I could change my vision, positioning, and timing so I could make better calls.”
Green was talent identified based on her technique and enthusiasm for the game, leading her to umpire at the inter-academy trials in Melbourne. “That was my first time umpiring netball in Melbourne,” she said.
Since then, Green has been tested for her B badge, umpired at state training, and become a member of the VNL Umpiring Squad.
To umpire at the state elite level is a “dream come true” for Green.
“The level of play is incredible, and the time the coaches have spent providing me with feedback has meant I feel like I am improving,” she said. “The experience of VNL is intense, but the umpiring team have been extremely kind and welcoming, which has helped my confidence on and off the court.”
Green manages her umpiring responsibilities while studying year 12. “It can be very busy at times, but I am given time off when I need it to study. The most important thing is planning when I will have time for netball and study in advance so I can spend my time effectively,” she said. “I've found netball to be good for me though in terms of taking time away from laptops and books to give myself and break and do something physically tiring.”
To be around people equally as passionate about netball is what she appreciates most about umpiring. “It gives another chance to be around people that love the sport, as well as a way to learn more about netball on another level,” Green said. “We love this sport as much, or more, than the players we umpire.”
Green believes the role of an umpire is to make the game as fair and enjoyable as possible, and to empower one another on and off the court. “The culture of netball creates an environment where players support each other, get around each other, and back each other time and time again. I feel safest on a netball court, regardless of how well I play or umpire.”
Based on her exceptional progress from Association Championships to VNL in just one year, we can expect a fantastic umpiring career ahead for Emily Green.
“The dream would be Suncorp Super Netball, but at the moment I'm looking forward to doing VNL more consistently and feeling as comfortable in whites as I do in a dress.”
Association Championships is not only a pathway for our players. Contact your association/league or workforce@netballvic.com.au to find out how you can be involved in Association Championships.
