Fatima Halloum
The Hoppers Crossing AFL umpiring academy has officially opened its doors to aspiring umpires.
The academy was backed by a grant from the local council and will cater for 5 private and 7 public schools in the area.
Mark Westgarth, director of umpiring said the program will benefit all the kids involved.
“The best thing about umpiring is that you get paid and you get fit. It’s a healthstyle and you’re doing lots of running.”
“The real benefits are that it connects you to people, you learn decision making, leadership and you’re working with older people and learning skills that are transferable throughout your life,” he said.
Mr Westgarth said it was a goal to get as many kids as possible involved in the program.
“We’ve tried to set up more academies in the western area, and now we have one. We had about 30 kids turn up which is fantastic, and we expect through word of mouth it’ll increase to 50 or 60,” Mr Westgarth said.
The program is a joint collaboration between the Western Region Football League and the umpires association.
The Werribee academy at MacKillop College has produced over 500 umpires, with many progressing to the AFL/VFL.
The sessions run on Monday nights throughout the season, uniform and training is provided and participation is free.
Mr Westgarth said that while parents can sometimes worry about their children, they are well cared for.
“We would never put a young person in a game if we don’t think they can handle it.”
“Everyone is welcome to come. You’re welcome to turn up, we’ll look after you and we provide mentoring,” he said.
