One step away from umpiring international netball

28 October 2011

One step away from umpiring international netball

University of Waikato Hillary Scholar Tania Law is one step closer to her dream of umpiring netball at an international level.

The masters student and Sir Edmund Hillary Scholar has recently been appointed to the Netball New Zealand National A Umpires Squad for 2012 after picking up the whistle at the age of 15.

“I just got my New Zealand A Award which is the highest umpiring award in New Zealand,” says Tania. “You get assessed on your umpiring throughout the national competition, the Lion Foundation Netball Champs, which is the NPC of netball”.

“It’s a tough job umpiring; everyone has their own opinion, but it’s your job to keep control of the game.

“The mental and physical challenge is different than anything else. You’ve got to be fit enough to keep up and still be able to make split second decisions that can change the game.”

The Netball New Zealand A Umpires squad is one level below ANZ and international competition, and brings her dream to umpire at an international level one step closer.

“I just need to keep getting experience at the next level and umpiring critical moments. As an umpire the best compliment you can get is when people say they didn’t notice you. I let them play and the game flow but, at the end of the day it is my job to enforce the rules of the game.

Tania is in her second year of her Master of Science in Molecular Genetics. She is working on her thesis entitled 'Detection of somatic mutations in EGFR and KRAS genes in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens from non-small cell lung cancer patients’. She is one of 11 Netball New Zealand National A Umpires, and was the first sports official to receive a Hillary Scholarship.

Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarships are the University of Waikato’s most prestigious scholarships and are awarded to students who are high academic achievers and who show potential in the arts or sport. Scholars have their course fees covered, receive specialist coaching and mentoring and take part in personal development and leadership programmes.

ENDS

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