Highlands District Cricket Umpires Association is encouraging interested people to attend a forthcoming course at Albion Park to qualify as cricket umpires and so boost numbers in the local area. The course is to be conducted at Albion Park RSL Club on the weekend of 21 & 22 June 2014 from 9am to 5pm on the Saturday and from 9am to 2pm on Sunday. The cost is $35 and NSW Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association will provide Law book, training course materials, revision questions on the Laws of Cricket and the assessment task for each participant. The trainer is NSWCUSA Executive Officer and Development Officer, Darren Goodger, himself a 1st class umpire and multiple award winner of the award for best umpire in Sydney grade cricket. Support for the course has also come from Simon Taufel, ICC Umpire Performance and Training Manager and Bowral Cricket Club patron. Simon is often asked why he took up umpiring. “I have to be very honest and blunt about this. The first thing to say is that an injury prevented me from playing. So if I couldn’t play, I wanted to stay involved in the game but more importantly, I needed to earn some extra money. The match fees for a Saturdayafternoon’s work as a cricket umpire was the thing that really got me started. Whether you are a student, employed or retired, the extra money for being involved in cricket and working outdoors is attractive.” In local club cricket umpiring fees, paid through Highlands District Cricket Association, range from junior levels on a Saturday morning paying $45 to 1st grade umpiring at both ends at $90. Umpiring at inter-district level, both junior and senior, is significantly more rewarding. Simon has also spoken about the pathway that can open up for those taking on “the best seat in the house”. “The extra knowledge gained and learning from other umpires and bodies like the NSWCU&SA / CricketAustralia really added to my skill set. If you want to be part of a great game, develop your skills, earn some extra money and enjoy working outdoors, then come and learn the Laws of Cricket, challenge yourself and make the game better on the Southern Highlands. Who knows, maybe you could become a 1st Class or Test Umpire one day!” Prior to last season a similar course was conducted at Nowra and the successful applicants included two local junior cricketers, Billy Barge and James Weekes, who are now fully fledged members of the NSWCUSA. The local cricket association and local umpires association are both very keen to promote new faces into umpiring as many of the current members are approaching the end of their careers. Interested persons are invited in the first instance to contact Highlands Umpires secretary Norm Stanton – 48711757 or stormnanton@hotmail.com – and further details will be provided |