Support for our umpires from Go Hockey

Go Hockey is a proud sponsor of Waikato Hockey.Through our sponsorship, we offer significant discounts to representative players through our Go Hockey Sponsorship Programme. We are pleased to now offer the same discounts to umpires who are officiating at Rep Tournaments from U13s right through to Masters including NHL.The discounts we offer on sticks, shoes and bags are very attractive.

To get amongst it just visit our website Click here and fill in the ‘Sponsorship’ link.

UMPIRES BULLETIN APRIL 2018

For this month's newsletter click here

UMPIRES BULLETIN JULY 2017

Welcome to this month’s edition of the Umpiring newsletter. Last month’s intended bulletin was hijacked but for July we feature a report from Co-Chairman Rhys Mc Lachlan and a profile of Julena Phillips one of our leading umpires. The Back in the Days piece considers ways in which hockey has evolved thereby improving the game for players and spectators. Do you have ideas or umpiring related questions for the next Umpiring newsletter? Share it with one of the Umpire Committee members of Rhys, Bevan, Anna, orBen so it can be addressed next time. 

LEADERS COMMENT: Greetings all umpires. I'm Rhys McLachlan, Co-Chairperson with Bevan Nichol of the Umpires committee. Along with that role I am a premier grade umpire and player. Firstly I'd like to thank you all for making our job easier by volunteering to umpire. Every one of you who puts your hand up to umpire means a little bit of our large task of controlling hockey games in the Waikato is "chipped off”. I would like to welcome Lani Jackman to the umpiring team. Lani has moved here from the beautiful Nelson, and with her she brings a wealth of experience and knowledge. I encourage you to be sure to use the opportunity that this presents to observe and talk to Lani. This year is set to offer some extremely exciting umpiring opportunities. Many of our umpires will again be offered the opportunity to represent us at national and international tournaments. We look forward to tracking your progress. Lastly I congratulate my Co Chairperson Bevan for his recent international appointments. He recently returned from The Sultan Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia, where he was umpiring among the best in the world. Well done Bev. It is congratulations also to Julena Phillips who umpired the Blacksticks women during their home series with India. Well done both of you.

UMPIRE OF THE MONTH

Julena’s extensive playing background served her well as she progressed through umpiring. Being athletic and an experienced player she transitioned successfully to umpiring, excelling when officiating on premier club and Masters Hockey fixtures. Her performances were noticed and duly rewarded. Besides receiving significant game appointments locally Julena was identified as Waikato Hockey’s leading female umpire. Away from Hamilton, Julena has had some notable appointments including, international fixtures and the finals of Masters Tournaments in New Zealand, Rotterdam and Canberra. Julena notes that it has not been without effort. She said, “Passion, hard work, determination and perseverance are essentials to make your umpiring dream come true.” “ Interpreting rules and applying them to games takes a lot of work and dedication. And at times it also takes a thick skin to cope with the occasions you are told you’re wrong, even when you know you are right. ” Despite the demands on her, Julena says it has all been worth the effort. Whether the games be club hockey at Gallagher HC, NHL fixtures, international hockey matches around New Zealand or even Masters World Cup games abroad, umpiring remains challenging and rewarding.

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BACK IN THE DAYS

Hockey is constantly evolving, for players, umpires and spectators. The physical changes are obvious with modern technology providing synthetic playing surfaces and composite sticks. Prior to the Gallagher Hockey Centre complex being built in 1991, Waikato Hockey had 13 grass fields at Innes Common. For both the City Council and WHA field maintenance was a costly ongoing issue. The introduction of synthetic surfaces reduced our field requirements by 11 fields. As an aside, umpiring or playing on field number 13 Back in the Days meant trekking to a field opposite the Hamilton Yacht Club gate, half way to the hospital. Past generations of hockey players would be surprised by many of the modern rules, skills and the plays that are now permitted. The changes have enhanced the game for players, and spectators, with umpires having to adapt to the changes. Back in the Days hockey games were often stop start affairs, with games frequently punctuated by umpiring intervention. One piece of research at that time found the ball to be in play for only about 22- 26 minutes of the normally allocated 70 minutes. Consider some of these rules from the past:  “Offside” rule required the highest attacker to have three defenders,(later two,) between them and the goal “Sticks” rule required that sticks be kept below shoulder height at all times when playing the ball Both 180 and 360 turns were likely to be penalised for “turning on the ball” or obstruction Hand stopping of the ball was permitted both in the air and on the ground Side line restarts were with a roll in  Games started with the traditional “bully off”  Rolling subs were unheard of For players, spectators and umpires, hockey today has become faster, more varied and produces more goals. We are lucky to be umpiring at this time.