Gca Umpire Shortage. Get On Board!

IF you could do with an extra $120 a week in your pocket and are interested in cricket then umpiring could be your calling.

Geelong's cricket umpire ranks are at their lowest in decades just a few months out from the 2011/12 season and they're appealing for people to consider helping out.
The GCA's umpires are among the best paid in Victoria, earning $120 a day for two-day fixtures and $130 for one-day matches. Geelong Cricket Umpires Association boss Dean Wilson said he would welcome anyone with a genuine interest in the game to join the umpiring fraternity.
Former players, injured players, women and aspiring Simon Taufels have been encouraged to raise a finger.
"In the early 1990s we had more than 80 umpires. Now we struggle to get 25," Wilson said.
"We really want the past players to get involved because they understand the game and the rules and the frustrations that go with it. It'd be great to get women involved as well. It's an untapped market and you see what they've done with the footy, where matches are solely umpired by women."

Second year umpire Rob Pow played for more than 30 years but after his reflexes gave way he decided umpiring was the best way to stay involved in the game he loved.
"The catalyst for me was that as your skills drop away you're playing on hard wicket and dust bowls in the middle of nowhere," Pow said.
"Taking up umpiring gave me the chance to watch the better players play and also umpire at the better grounds. The way the culture has changed towards umpires, you barely have a bad word said to you.
"If we get more umpires, we could get them down to the lower grades and sharpen things up a little."
Gaining accreditation is a relatively simple process while former Test umpire Bill Sheahan mentors the region's officials to make sure they stay sharp.
"We have a 15-page open book exam and they just complete it, Bill marks it and indicates whether the person understands the rules. New umpires go out with another umpire for a couple of games and then they're on their own," Wilson said.
"Umpires can then get level two accreditation from Cricket Australia. It's not that hard, it's just about understanding the rules and then you get your head around the GCA regulations."
Anyone interested in becoming a GCA umpire can contact Dean Wilson on 0419 385 013

Article printed in the Geelong Advertiser June 21 2011 by Daniel Breen.
 
Back
Top