First in Gisborne to gain badge under new rules

Pania Joy Tomoana

PANIA Joy Tomoana laughed when asked why she decided to take up netball umpiring.

“I realised I was never going to be a Silver Fern,” said the Whatatutu-born Tomoana, who has become the first umpire in the Gisborne centre to gain New Zealand C-badge umpire status under the new prerequisites. This was achieved at a Netball New Zealand national event.

“After playing for the Waikohu premier team and coaching the Waikohu second team, and after my aunty Violet Tuapawa-Crawford kept pushing me to umpire, I decided to take up the challenge,” Tomoana said.

Mentoring and helpSince then, she had been mentored as an umpire by Irene Takao (whose YMP team, including Tomoana’s daughter Princess Tomoana, won the premier grand final after going through the season unbeaten). She had also received help from Debbie Hutchings, of Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti, with fitness tests, which were done three times a year.

“I got my central zone NZ badge last year and now I’ve got this C-grade badge, but a lot of the credit must go to Irene . . . she’s been awesome,” Tomoana said. “When I asked her if I had it in me to go for the C-grade badge she said, ‘Yes, absolutely . . . go for it’.

“I’ve especially loved learning rules that as a player I always thought I knew . . . but now know I didn’t.”

Netball umpires do not come in for the verbal abuse from players and spectators that is common in other sports, and that is another reason Tomoana enjoys umpiring.

“Some players will get lippy, try it on and some spectators voice their opinions if they don’t agree with decisions, but when I march them (the back-chatting players) their team-mates soon tell them to be quiet,” said Tomoana, who was named Gisborne netball’s umpire of the year at the annual prize-giving. She was also the official with the highest theory marks.

“I think netballlers have more respect for the officials than players in some other codes.”

Next stepsThe next umpiring steps would be a B-grade badge followed by A-grade, which would enable Tomoana to umpire national games. Next would come an international badge, which would mean internationals and transtasman games.

Tomoana said she enjoyed umpiring teams she had not umpired before.

“I get more excited than nervous and welcome the challenges. Without these games I would never develop experience.”

Tomoana’s first outside tournament was in Opotiki, where she sat her zone badge.

“I had to umpire a series of secondary school matches to achieve this award, so it was different in terms of players’ skills, I had different co-umpires, and the environment was totally different to what I was used to in Gisborne.

“All the games in Opotiki were outdoors, whereas all representative and New Zealand under-17, u19 and u21 games are indoors. Being able to adjust quickly, being confident in your ability, and being fit — as well as having great coaching support and determination — are the keys to success.”

She hoped others would be inspired to become netball umpires.

She wanted to thank Netball New Zealand, Sport Waikato and Gisborne Netball Centre for supporting her development and journey.

“My success is all of our success.”