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26 | WINTER 2021 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie REFEREE: NATIONAL GRADUATION DAY T he Grab Your Whistle Referee Academy ended in November 2021. Participants gathered in person for the first time since the start of their training. Being able to share experiences, goals and a few jokes was a delight for the group. Trina Murray, Leinster LGFA President, presented the participants with their certificates and reinforced the importance of the role they play in our sport. In total, 15 referees, with representatives from all four provinces, completed the 2020/21 GYW Referee Academy. The 2020/21 training programme required them to work hard, maintain high standards and be adaptable. Regardless of challenges, it is fair to say that this Sport Ireland supported programme has shone bright within the LGFA development programmes. All participants grew in confidence and expertise across the year, especially with the guidance from their mentors and experience as linespeople in the 2021 TG4 Championship. The Ladies Gaelic Football Association is delighted that it was so successful and we will be launching year three in January 2022. Contact Clare. Dowdall@lgfa.ie to get involved. Get to know some of our latest programme graduates... GRADUATION DAY FROM THE NATIONAL REFEREE ACADEMY Name: Trevor Clohessy County: Galway What is your referee journey? I started with the Go Games referee course. I brought my daughter to a Go Games training and decided to do the course with her. It was one of the best decisions I could have made as I have really enjoyed my time refereeing here in Galway. What made you sign up for the GYW Referee Academy Programme? I applied for the Grab Your Whistle Academy in 2020 and was delighted to be accepted to the programme. What grabbed my attention was the structured nature of the training over a 12-month period. I was also attracted to the mentorship, referee assessment, and inter- county lineperson experience opportunities that the course provided. What do you think is the toughest part of refereeing? The toughest part of refereeing for me is self-critiquing my own performance. You can have good days and not so good days. My main objective is to ensure that I referee consistently across all age groups. What is your favourite aspect of refereeing? My favourite aspect of refereeing is getting to observe games at all levels, at club and intercounty levels. Not only has this improved my refereeing but it has also improved my coaching ability at club level. If there was one rule you would like managers and players to be more aware of what would it be? The red and yellow card offences. They are clearly defined in the LGFA rule book and having a knowledge of them would enhance both managers' and players' ability to play the game without incurring them. What was your favourite part of the Referee Academy? I really enjoyed the webinars. The were so informative. I also liked the mentorship component. My mentor Shane Curley was incredible and provided me with continuous guidance and experience of how to officiate both club and inter-county LGFA matches. If you had one piece of advice for someone starting of as a referee what would it be? Always engage in self-reflection following a game. Ask yourself the following questions: What worked well? What could you do better? What did you miss? If you have umpires or linespersons, they will be able to provide feedback on how you performed.