Netball: Knowledge, thick skin best fix for abuse

Sideline abuse has the propensity to rear its ugly head every so often in netball but Helga Lewis believes knowledge is the ideal pesticide.

"You know that parents have a passion for it and you allow for a little bit of it but not when it becomes personal and becomes too much for the children especially," says Hastings umpire Lewis.

"Adults can be over-exuberant. We like them to support children but not downing on them," she says, emphasising youngsters aren't Silver Ferns although hopefully they will be some day.

On the odd occasion in her career she has had to stop a game to caution transgressors in a bid to quash the undesirable behaviour.

"It doesn't happen at the Super 6 level because we have developed some very good relationships. They have been around for a while so they know what we'll put up with and what we won't."

Lewis says that sort of carry-on is more likely to surface on Saturdays but the onus is on the officials to convey the message with a modicum of diplomacy.

"You have to be open with them and ask them quietly so you don't have to be quite forceful because it's easy to get their backs up."

However, umpires are comfortable in the knowledge they will receive the support of duty umpires at a venue to monitor behaviour and not hesitate to ask unruly fans to leave.

"You never want that to happen but you're confident enough to know the rules and you're in charge," she says.

No doubt it pays to have a thick skin because things transpire in "the heat of the moment so you just let go".

A jovial Lewis isn't impervious to reflecting inwards at possible flaws.

"Sometimes umpires make the worst players because they know the rules so they try to push it to the extremes."

However, it goes without saying an umpire doesn't want to give another playing official grief.

"You know what it's like so you want that respect."

She lauds coaching stables and team management for equipping players for a better understanding of the code.