AFL UMPIRE MENTOR PROGRAM MANUAL - AFL Community

Mentoring is a highly effective way for new umpires to learn the ‘art’ of their role and applytheory they may have learnt in the classroom or through independent study. Mentors canbring life to a theoretical concept, demonstrate practical officiating skills, be a soundingboard for problems, help you to identify weaknesses or be a source of motivation anda reminder that you are doing a great job!Mentoring relationships can be formally structured, with mentors assigned to umpires,or they can grow out of a chance encounter with a like-minded umpire and remain veryinformal. They can be equally as useful for a new umpire just starting out in the sport asfor an elite umpire with significant experience. It doesn’t matter what form a mentoringrelationship takes, as long as the umpire and the mentor see value in the relationship andit helps both to develop and become better at their jobs.“Mentoring is a process rather than an event; mentors must see themselves as managersof a process rather than passing on knowledge.”Galvin, 1998UMPIRE MENTOR PROGRAM MANUAL 21