Melissa Price's Umpiring Dream
My netball dream is...
My dream is to be awarded by New Zealand C Badge for umpiring netball. I have been umpiring netball since I was 14, when I was still playing netball for my high school team in Levin. The more I umpired, the more I enjoyed it. I achieved my Centre Award in 2012 and also gained my Zone theory that same year. In 2014 I moved to Wellington for university and involved myself quickly into Netball Wellington. In 2015, I was awarded my Zone Badge for the Central region at the Under 15s National Representative Tournament on my second game on the day. In September of 2015 I also gained equal top marks in the New Zealand Theory exam.
I have umpired continuously since 2010 and will continue to umpire because I love the challenge it provides. At the moment however, I feel I will be unable to achieve my dream because of factors external to netball that have large impact on it. I am currently only able to umpire fortnightly because I work weekends. I have been fortunate that my boss has been accommodating to this request, otherwise I wouldn't be umpiring at all this year since the only club level competition on a weeknight (Regional Super League) has been cancelled this year. I cannot afford to give up working for netball. This becomes a problem where I cannot go away to tournaments because I have to work. Just this weekend some of my umpiring friends who were able to umpire in Palmerston North for a rep tournament, received their NZ C Badge, and while I am absoultely over the moon for them because they deserve it, if I didn't have to work as much as I do, or I had a job that was during the week, then that could have been me in that position.
I want to keep improving, and I want to give my best game to the players, but I can't do that when I don't have the money to give up work and therefore the time to umpire. Please help me achieve my dream!
Other media:
Note
If you, your team, club or school need ANZ's help to bring your netball dreams to life then apply here