Level 1 Umpire Accreditation Manual - AFL Community

Unit 9 – Improving PerformanceImproving umpiring performances is a goal ofmost Umpires regardless of what level they officiate.The responsibility for improving performancesrests with the Umpire.Umpires will receive a range of feedback ontheir performances – from players, spectators,club officials and umpiring personnel at mostmatches they Umpire.For improvement to occur the Umpire will firstlyneed to know the area/s that need improvement.This information can come from umpiringpersonnel – the coach or observer or a senioror more experienced Umpire.It is important that the Umpire listens to the feedbackthat is provided and to respond in a positive manner.The Umpire should thank the person for the feedback.What the Umpire does with the feedback is crucialto assisting him to improve his performance.The feedback can provoke some thought/s as towhat might be done in the next match and howhe might do that if he is to improve the pointsraised in the feedback.In discussions with the person providing thefeedback the Umpire can come up with a numberof possible actions (not too many) to take away toimplement in the next match.The Umpire can use a diary to record their reflections.Umpiring DiaryThe Umpire probably has kept a diary at some timein his life. Some common benefits of a diary:• diaries help him remember;• diaries help him gain a perspective on his life;• diaries help us self-reflect;• diaries are individualised and personalised.The Umpire should write up his diary entry on thesame day as the match. This means that the gameis still fresh in his mind.Keeping a DiaryKeep it simple and to the pointWrite in note form and use diagrams.Describe before judgingDescribe your performance before evaluatinghow good or bad it was. Be as clear and preciseas possible.Don’t forget what you do wellIt is just as important to be clear about what youdid well as what you need to do to improve.Evaluation demands explanationWhy was your performance good? Why doesit need to be improved? Why would anotherapproach be better?Brainstorm solutionsIf you can see the problem but no clear solution,you can write down a whole lot of ideas, even crazyones, and see if that helps.Try, try againStrategies can go wrong. Improvement can be slow.Don’t be afraid to return to the same behaviour anumber of times.ASSESSMENTYou will need to demonstrateactions which contribute toimproving your performance,such as:• Recording aspects of your umpiring performances in your diary;• Discussing diary entries with a coach/mentor;• Receiving and responding to feedback from others;• Discussing the process/es for developing umpiring knowledge,skills and attitudes.22 level one umpires manual