Issue link: http://digitaleditions.uberflip.com/i/1513251
36 | AUTUMN 2023 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie REFEREE Focus Tell us why you got involved in Refereeing? Refereeing started for me back in 2006 when I was managing our local ladies football team. I knew by undertaking a referee's course that it would help me have more knowledge of the rules, so that I could better explain them to my players. Refereeing really happened accidentally after that, I found that during training sessions I would find myself with a whistle and refereeing small sided games. This progressed to challenge matches and eventually I put my name forward to the county board and started refereeing from there. It was a great way to help the club and to give back to the association too. Can you describe what you were like as a young referee? As a novice referee I was eager to learn once I got bitten by the bug! I was nervous at times and had to learn a lot. I knew there would be an apprenticeship needed to get on the ladder. Many would ask 'why would you want to be a referee?' It's a vocation really and it's not suited to everyone but I enjoyed it from the start and felt I could give it a good go. I made plenty of mistakes and there is no denying that! Each game I refereed I was gaining more and more confidence and then I received my first underage final and it built from there. From an early stage I had a dream of being able to referee a match in Croke Park, I certainly wasn't going to make it there as a player! I am very grateful looking back now for all the games I was asked to referee from underage to senior level. What were the things that you had to work on to help you become the referee you are today? I had to be very focused on knowledge and keeping up to date with the rules for a start. We are tested regularly on this aspect and I have no arguments in that. Referees have to make a decision in a second. Fitness is another area I worked hard on. Referee fitness is vital and getting used to diagonal running and being up with the play demands work. It is different to playing the game as there is no one position for a referee and the whole field is covered. The game demands a very high level of fitness and players can transition the ball so quick, from one end to the other. I need to be there with the play and I owe that to the players also who work extremely hard. I also worked hard to build a solid team of umpires and this took time. They travel the country with me to games and keeping them up to date with the relevant courses is important. I am very grateful to all of them for their help and dedication over the years. How do you review your performance as a referee operating at the highest level? This is an ongoing process, and reviewing happens before, during, and after each match. I will review the rules, a decision or a scenario from the most recent game before my next match. At half time I will always ask my team of officials is there anything I can improve on, or anything I have missed and we will review what went well. Of course after the game and many referees will agree here, that one has a gut feeling whether the game went well or not. If there is a decision lingering in my head after a game I will watch this game back, where possible, and confirm the decision, otherwise I'll discuss with my team again. I am my own worst critic here, believe me! With all National games now available to watch back along with other competitions streamed too, there is an excellent tool here to help referees review performances. I am also very grateful for the Referee Assessor's report on a game. This is also a great way to discuss performance and to use it constructively. They take the time to give a detailed account of the game and watch it as a neutral. A phone call to the National Referee Shane Curley shares his refereeing journey that brought him to throwing in the ball on the big day last August! REACHING THE PEAK Q: Q: Q: Q: A: A: A: A: