Gary's Games
Netball East Communications and Marketing TSG Member Alison Bannister recently caught up with our regional treasure Gary Burgess on his trip to the Commonwealth Games....
You gained your IUA at the World Youth Cup in the Cook Islands in 2009 and I read recently that the 2010 CWG final between NZ and Australia was your first senior international final. What did it feel like to umpire THAT final and any nerve-wracking moments you can remember?
Well what can I say; umpiring ‘that’ match will be a memory that'll be hard to beat. It really was a career defining moment where a lifetime of experience unfolded in front of me during 138 minutes of Netball. Directly after the game I felt elated but during the match with probably 5 minutes to go the pressure was on. All that was cycling through my mind was 'don't mess this up, don't mess this up' again and again and again. Little did I know that that thought would cycle through my mind for the next 40+ minutes!!! Nerve-Wracking... During the Extra Time period the pressure was affecting me. While the decisions were coming out of my mouth correctly my arms didn’t want to do as they were told!!! There was an incident where I indicated an offside with the wrong hand which had everybody panicking for a moment but it was sorted quite quickly!!! The only other thing that happened was with an injury time for Australia. It must be the most asked question I’ve had since I got back. There was a collision between Sharelle McMahon and a Kiwi player - no contact occurred but a different Australian player asked for time. Australia had the ball and I held time. During the injury, apparently the BBC commentary team said that I had changed/reversed a decision for dissent. This wasn't the case and Australia restarted with the ball in the position where the game was stopped. Commentators can be a pain sometime!!!
How did you get selected to go to Delhi?
Umpires at all levels are subject to assessment and grading. Throughout the season I had been tested on Super League and International matches and it was these grades that secured mine and of course Judith's places at the Games. There were 13 umpires selected from around the World using the same criteria so it shows that England is back up there as one of the strongest umpiring nations.
What did you think of Delhi and the facilities provided for the Games? The facilities were World Class but unfortunately the Games fell foul of the media making everything seem ten times worse than it was. We stayed in a 5* Hotel which was great. Having said this when I first got to my room I found the Indian idea of a twin room was a double bed with two double duvets! The food was lovely and I didn't even succumb to the dreaded 'Delhi Belly'! We were taken to the venue everyday on a bus and the Police rode ahead of us closing the roads as we went! The only issue we did have was that due to the media speculation the spectator numbers were really low for most of the sports. Having said this, the Netball Final was only a few people short of being sold out which is a massive boost for Netball globally.
How do you maintain your fitness for umpiring and how did you prepare for this type of competition when you have so many matches to umpire?
During the tournament the main priority for me is warming up, warming down and recovering correctly. It is so important to stretch enough because you are faced with umpiring possibly 8 games in 9 days. I did about 30 minutes of stretching and warm up shuttles before every game just to get everything loosened up and pumping. I normally have a carbohydrate gel at half time to keep the energy levels up. Rather strangely during the Commonwealth Games final, for no real reason, I decided to have an energy gel during each quarter and half time which proved to be crucial with the events that unfolded. Directly after games I did 10 minutes of stretching and then it was straight to the ice bath! Without this I would have been in bits after the first couple of games. It doesn’t matter how fit you are the mechanics of umpiring Netball definitely take their toll. The heat wasn’t a problem either as the stadium was air conditioned. To be honest it was too cold most of the time!
What were your highlights from the Games and why?
Buying the Inbetweeners box set at Heathrow before I left!!! Seriously, the environment at a tournament of this type can be really intense so having this to unwind to was a god sent! That aside its obviously umpiring the final, this was absolutely amazing. Had I have already been to a World Netball Championships I may of contemplated retiring but as 2011 brings the Worlds in Singapore I’ve got to keep going!
You don't play netball, so who or what inspired you to get into netball umpiring and when did you start?
While I was at university I was urged to bolster my PE Teaching CV by going on officiating courses in other sports. Everyone expects a male PE teacher to be competent in Football and Rugby, but if you go into interviews with experience in female sports it could give you the edge. I have said this before but I owe a lot to Glenys Gibson my PE teacher at school and Gloria Keech who mentored me in the early years.
What do your friends and family think about you umpiring a women's sport? Have you encountered any negative comments or reactions from people in general?
That’s the beauty with friends and family, they always see the best in every situation. I think for my Mum it became a reality when I told her I was going to the Commonwealth Games, she was really chuffed and was telling everyone. Of course, my male friends think is awesome! I wonder why???!!!
How difficult is it to combine a job, a social life and all your umpiring commitments?
I have a really fantastic Principal that lets me go when he can and I have to make time for my social life as sometimes it’s easy for this to be forgotten about. Honestly though, its hard work and I would warn anybody thinking about doing it you’ve got to put the miles in. For weekday matches I often leave school in Norfolk at 15.00 drive to Manchester or Bath, Sheffield etc, umpire the match and drive home straight after often arriving home at 02.00 or 03.00 in the morning. I’ll then be back in school the next day at 07.30. Last year in Super League I drove over 10,000 miles and flew to Glasgow three times. Internationally, I went to Scotland for the Australia vs Scotland test series in February and then back there in June for the World Championships Qualifiers. I also spent 3 weeks in Australia and New Zealand in the summer umpiring the Jamaica vs Australia and New Zealand Test Series. In previous years I have travelled to South Africa, the Cooks Islands, Australia and New Zealand and I also squeezed in a holiday to Los Angeles and Hawaii on the way to the World Youth Championships. Seeing the world has to be one of biggest highlights for me, even if this does means hours and hours on planes!!
How do you handle the pressures of umpiring Super league and International matches?
Meticulous planning!!!! For me the secret of dealing with pressure is being in control of everything you possibly can. If you make sure you have everything you’re going to need ready the night before, get to the venue with at least an hour and a half before the start time then the only pressures you have left are game related. Once the game starts it’s just a case of going back to routine and protocol. When you get to Super League level knowledge of the rules shouldn’t be an issue so you just have to have a set of procedures at the ready to deal with any challenges present themselves.
A rules review is underway and IFNA are seeking proposals for any rule changes. What changes, if any, would you make to the current rules?
I think with the recent change to allow coaching at injury time the rules of Netball are pretty sound. There are a few fussy things that I’d change like introducing a hand signal for umpire’s time and associated with that a tidying up of the Blood Stoppage rule. With the introduction of FastNet I think the more imaginative rules adaptations could be trialled there first.
Netball umpires aren't usually subjected to the kind of abuse that football umpires encounter but how do you deal with difficult players?
Everyone gets a boo from time to time, but you just have to take it in your stride! The rules of Netball provide a clear escalation process with discipline and the closer you stick to this the less the margin for problems to occur. I speak to players a lot off the ball and try and give them enough notice of the things I’m not happy with. If the issue continues the next step would be an advance penalty. If the individual still doesn’t take the hint then I’d be forced to warn them. At this point I’d make it perfectly clear that the individual has had enough chances to modify what they are doing and if it occurs again then I would have no other option than to suspend them. In the 12 years I’ve been umpiring I’ve only ever sent 3 players off and this only occurred in the last 4 years while umpiring in the top flight. Consistency is the key. Players get to know your style and how much they can get away with. They tend to stay the right side of the line nowadays!
What do you find most rewarding and most challenging about umpiring at the top level and what's your ultimate goal?
Goal setting throughout my career has been the thing I concentrate on. Both Bill Alexander and Sheelagh Redpath have encouraged me to aim high but were always on hand to make sure I didn’t run before I could walk. They are both still very much involved in ensuring my feet are kept firmly on the ground. In 2005 I looked at which umpires were being appointed to the World Youth Championships in Florida and I thought that in four years time I would be hopefully in the same position. I planned as far ahead 2012 in the ‘what if’ blue sky world. I thought that if I worked hard enough I’d be in with a chance to go to the World Youth Championships in the Cook Islands and hopefully while there I would get screened for or get my International Award. If this all went to plan I would hopefully go to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the 2011 World Netball Championships and then the 2012 Olympics Games (at the time the ‘Back the Bid’ campaign was in full swing). As you can see I’ve ticked off three of my goals but even after my performance in Delhi I still don’t rest on my laurels or assume I’ll go to the World Championships. I just have to keep on putting in consistently good performances and those sorts of things will take care of themselves. Goals still left???... Umpiring a World Championship Final is up there (not necessarily 2011) and being the best umpire I can be. I think the one thing that keeps me going is I still get the same buzz when I’m umpiring a local league, Super League or International match.
What advice would you give to young aspiring umpires?
Anything is possible. Where players are often said to be ‘born’ with a talent, umpiring is something you can train for and master from scratch. Get yourself a good mentor that you trust and listen to them. Get out and do as many level specific matches as possible because every game you do is an opportunity to improve. Try and keep a low profile and be as understated as possible. Nobody wants a ‘young upstart’ barking rules at them so be the umpire that applies the rules fairly and consistently. The greatest compliment you could receive is ‘we didn’t really notice you today’! The higher you progress up the umpiring pyramid the harder you have to work to gain the opportunities on offer. Aim high but always keep things in perspective.
…and finally, what does the England Netball team need to do to beat the Diamonds and the Ferns and win the World Netball Championship?
The gap between the top 4 teams has never been closer and the only thing really separating these teams is self belief and confidence. The team that will win the World Championships, Commonwealth Games or even the Super League is the one that truly believes they can do it and is convinced they are better than their opposition, whether it’s true or not.