My journey to becoming a national hockey umpire

Interview with Annette Golding, a Baptist church member who became a Level 3 hockey umpire in 2022

 


As a national level hockey umpire, Annette Golding could be posted almost anywhere in England. Durham, Exeter and several places in between are among her possible destinations for the 2024-25 season. 
 
Annette, member of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Thamesmead in south east London since 1995, was assigned to officiate in Bath shortly after achieving her national status two years ago.
 
'That day I spent about 11 hours driving,' she recalls, 'the longest I've ever spent driving just for hockey.
 
'But doing this is absolutely fantastic. I meet a vast range of other umpires and different clubs all over the country.
 
'I have to say, I absolutely love it.'
 
Annette is a Level 3-qualified hockey umpire, one of only 250 in the country. Broadly speaking, Level 1 equates to local club level, Level 2 is regional, and Level 3 national.
 
Annette didn't set out to be an umpire. She had loved playing throughout secondary school years in her native Jamaica.
 
After moving to England, she married, had two children and hockey took a back seat. But by her early 30s Annette recognised it was time to rediscover her own interests. 'I was my children’s glorified taxi driver, they had a much busier social life than me, and I thought, crikey - I need to find something for myself!'
 
Annette appreciates many sports, but hockey is her thing. (It’s also something that runs in the family - her younger brother represented Jamaica.)
 
Her opportunity to reconnect with the game she loved came in 1998 when she responded to a 'players wanted' advert from Blackheath, the oldest hockey club in the world, in local newspaper The News Shopper.
 
Her hockey life duly restarted, and she worked her way up the first team. She took the Level 1 umpiring course in 2005 as a response to the lack of local umpires, and was happy to combine playing and umpiring.
 
After umpiring a Blackheath men's 1st game in Maidstone, a member of the Kent Umpiring Association, recognising her capabilities, suggested she consider progressing to Level 2.
 
At first Annette didn't want to give up playing to focus on umpiring. However, over time she began to interact with more umpires through working with the Association, and they continued to encourage her. With coaching and mentoring, she gained her Level 2 qualification in 2017.
 
With her umpiring skills now in even greater demand, she began to play less and focus on the umpiring even more. Annette says she had several wonderful coaches and assessors, and one 'fantastic' mentor, which combined with her aptitude for the role, led to her achieving the difficult Level 3 qualification in February 2022.
 
'The feeling of achievement I had in becoming a national league umpire, it warmed my heart,' she says. 'I know others who have tried doing it, who didn't achieve their goal.’
 
Annette is currently overseeing games in the Women's Conference League, which this year started on 21 September. So far the postings have been relatively local, at the Paddington Recreation Ground, Teddington, and Old Loughtonians in Chigwell, Essex.  
 
But though she's already achieved much, she describes it as a 'continuing journey' and sees potential for further progression: she is at the 'C-panel' level, after which there is a B and an A-panel. The English Hockey League consists of a Division One and a Premier League above Conference.
 
At her annual pre-season fitness assessment, she was told she was only just short of being A-panel standard. So while she still plays when she can, the umpiring clearly takes precedence.
 
'My goal was to just be a national league umpire,’ Annette continues. ‘But having got here, I'm still hungry for more.
 
'I feel I can reach the next level, and I will be working towards it. My aim this season is to move from a conference level to at least B-panel.
 
'There is something in me that says you haven't reached your full potential, there's more you can achieve.'
 
Central to her life, and as a consequence, her umpiring, is her Christian faith. She has been a member of Emmanuel for many years, and is also the acting chair of Passion for Sport, which produces sports content with a Christian identity for listeners on both Christian and commercial radio networks.
 
Annette says her faith has helped give her focus and strength.
 
‘The Bible says, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’. And I recognise that - I know that it's not just in my strength. It’s not been easy. I was a single mum. My faith has kept me grounded and focused. I try to be an example for my children, in my workplace, and on the hockey pitch.
 
‘For instance, on the hockey pitch, when I'm speaking to the captains at the toss, I say to them I don't want to hear any profanity on the pitch. It's setting a standard. You're giving them respect and you expect respect back.’
 
At Blackheath, Annette played alongside Carol Bostridge, a former regional minister with London Baptists, and hockey goalkeeper.
 
'I got to know Carol very well. There are a few of us Christians knocking about, so it's nice to have the Christian ethos there, while doing something that you absolutely love.'
 
For her part, Carol is not surprised by the progress Annette has made, and believes more is to come.

‘Annette is a person who fully commits to all she does,’ says Carol. ‘She works hard and strives for excellence. She will take advice and is eager to learn. As an umpire she is firm and fair but not officious, she retains her sense of humour and is respected by players and other officials.
 
‘Annette lives out her Christian faith by showing integrity and serving others. I fully expect her to reach even higher levels in her umpiring.’
 
Annette adds, ‘If my journey can inspire someone else, whether it's coming to Christ or to become a hockey umpire, or just to think you can reach a goal, then I'm more than happy to share that.'
 
 
 

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