AFL UMPIRE MENTOR PROGRAM MANUAL - AFL Community

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Body language messages – excerciseLook at the following two photographs of someone communicating over the phone.What do the facial expressions suggest about the communication that may not be conveyedbecause it is a phone conversation?Remember that the umpire you are mentoring may not have much support aroundhim or her. This is especially likely to be the case if the umpire is from a regional area. Makesure you provide plenty of support and encouragement and help them find the informationand expertise they need to learn. It can also be helpful to set some ground rules at the start ofthe relationship about how and when you will communicate.Don’t forget that learning is a social activity. There is no harm in having some funalong the way by injecting appropriate personal experiences. It would be fair to say that ifthe process wasn’t fun, at least for some part, the umpire may feel disinclined to continuewith the relationship. Remember to follow the ground rules mentioned in this section wheninjecting some humour.A picture tells a thousand words. Never underestimate the value of a videotape whenmentoring at a distance. Umpiring is a practical activity and, as a mentor, you will be farmore effective if you can actually see the umpire in action. Not everyone has a video camera,but many people can get access to one given enough time – so recommend early in yourrelationship that this may be very beneficial. Always ensure that you respect the privacy ofthe umpire and always return the videotape to them when you have finished with it. If youconsider using it as a coaching tool with another umpire, always get the permission of theumpire first.Email tends to be quite informal.Write your emails as if you were speaking directly to the umpire. If the umpire sends you anemail and you don’t have time to reply immediately, try to acknowledge its receipt within24 hours. This gives the umpire an indication of when you will be able to address the email.Don’t leave it too long, as the implications are that you are not overly interested in your roleas a mentor or in him or her as an umpire.36UMPIRE MENTOR PROGRAM MANUAL
Feedback during and after the gameProviding feedback during the game clearly makes up a large part of your role as a mentor,particularly during the ‘run-with’ phase of the umpire’s development. You will be able to talkto him or her during the game and give immediate guidance and feedback.Another crucial aspect will be providing written feedback after their games.This is vital early on in the development of a new umpire. You will have to take some time toconsider the nature of how you approach this.A good rule of thumb is to start informally with beginning or learning umpires. Talkto them to gauge their response to the game they have just been involved in. If they arenegative, take time to work on improving their demeanour before engaging in the writtenfeedback process. Think back to the earlier part of this manual and use one or two anecdotesto lift the spirits of the young umpire after a bad game.When you get to writing feedback for the young umpire, always try to start with positives.Then, think of the next stage as part of a goal-setting process. Look at areas to improve andset some realistic but achievable goals for the umpire and give advice as to what they needto do to achieve them.For example:Position was excellent. Your fitness and speed allowed you to be in the best position to makethe right call most of the time. Next game, focus on you positioning when a player is havinga shot on goal. Make sure you are close enough to enforce the protected space around theplayer. Have a look at footage of an AFL game and watch how the umpire handled a set kickin front of goal – especially when there are defenders in close proximity to the player takingthe kick.As a mentor, you can advise the learning umpire to focus on the following aspectsof feedback:Value feedback.Identify strengths and weaknesses..Gain confidence from strengths.Identify strategies for improving weaknesses.Train effectively and/or mentally rehearse correct procedures.The form on the following page is adapted from the AFL Umpires’ Logbook© Australian Football League 2002.UMPIRE MENTOR PROGRAM MANUAL 37
Page 4 and 5: ContentsOverview of the program....
Page 7 and 8: AcknowledgementsThe AFL and the aut
Page 9 and 10: Benefits of mentoring to umpiringCa
Page 11 and 12: FLOW CHARTOUTLININGMENTOR TRAININGP
Page 13 and 14: “I know when I umpired my first f
Page 15 and 16: Identify the challenges faced by th
Page 17 and 18: We all start somewhere...Read the f
Page 19 and 20: UMPIRE MENTOR PROGRAM MANUAL 19
Page 21 and 22: Mentoring is a highly effective way
Page 23 and 24: Qualities of a MentorMentors come i
Page 25 and 26: When can mentoring occur?Mentoring
Page 27 and 28: SPIRThe S.P.I.R. MethodWhen teachin
Page 29 and 30: A ‘staged’ approach to mentorin
Page 31 and 32: Characteristics of beginning umpire
Page 33 and 34: Providing match feedbackSome import
Page 35: Mehrabian’s model has become one
Page 39 and 40: Strengths for the game:123Detailed
Page 41 and 42: Match reportUmpire’s name:Billy R
Page 43 and 44: What aspects of the written feedbac
Page 45 and 46: Bendigo ACES programMuch guidance a
Page 47 and 48: Testimonials from mentorsFollowing
Page 49 and 50: Questions for the Learning UmpireTh
Page 51 and 52: Appendix B - Umpire match-day feedb
Page 53 and 54: Appendix c - Umpire mentor program
Page 55 and 56: Appendix E - Umpiring on the webThe

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