Workshop opens doors for Australian Officials

Swimming Australia
Published: Oct 10, 2012 04:14:11 PM Updated: Oct 31, 2012 12:05:49 PM

Forty-six Technical Officials from all across Australia attended the National Officiating Workshop held in conjunction with State Team Age Short Course Championships in Canberra over the weekend.

Held at the AIS from Friday the 5^th to Monday the 8^th of October, the workshop covered a range of topics including communication, mental toughness, preparation, recovery and technical skills.

Currently in its fourth year, the support from the Australian Sports Commission and the State Organisations has been vital to the workshop’s success.

The course is designed to allow officials to develop their skills, improving their officiating abilities at club and state level and increasing their opportunities to officiate at National and International events.

The officials also heard from AFL umpire Ray Chamberlain who spoke about his experiences at the top level in one of Australia’s highest profile sports and passed on his wisdom to the group.

One of the attendees from 2010 Matthew Bromley from Queensland, is the current National Officiating Scholarship holder, gaining his first appointment to Referee at the 2012 Australian Short Course Championships in Perth.

Through the scholarship, Bromley has access to a range of experts in the areas of nutrition, psychology, vision and concentration through the Australian Sports Commission and the AIS and opted to attend the workshop again this year to continue his development and promote the doors that this workshop can open

To find out more about becoming a technical official or how you can get involved in swimming visit http://www.goswim.org.au