catriona tweedie - aust volleyball federation - leading the change: how volleyball is increasing...
TRANSCRIPT
My Journey • 1995: I decided I should do more than just play volleyball.. • Jan 1997: Australian Beach Volleyball referee course. (Jan) I was fast tracked as I was a player • March 1997: First FIVB World Tour event Melbourne • August1997: Attended International Referee course, Osaka
I became the first female International Beach Volleyball referee in Asia
• July 4 2000: First Gold Medal Match, Chicago, September 15 • September 2000 – Sydney Olympic Games • July 2012 – London Olympic Games
Why referee? • Very few people aspire to be a an elite level referee when they start in the sport. • Do you know why people get started in officiating in your sport? • How do you identify and encourage people to officiate?
• How many women does your sport have involved in officiating? • Do you have any role models? • Sell the benefits and rewards of being involved in officiating.
What Volleyball looked like in 1990 onwards?
• When I was playing in Australia I knew 3 female referees.
• Australia was a leader in Asia for allowing females to reach the highest level.
• Before I qualified as an international referee I had only heard of 3 other women on the beach. (2 USA and 1 Brazil)
• A Canadian women qualified with me and soon after another Australian. • Asia had more Women’s World Tour events than men
Leadership
• It is important it was to see other women refereeing.
• It is important for females to be seen at all levels.
• You can be a leader without realising it – it probably took me about 10 years to see myself as a leader
• I am now aware of the important role I have played in helping other female referees
• Amina became the first Olympic Beach Volleyball referee from Africa. I was able to share a room and provide guidance during her first 2 FIVB World Tour events. This helped her to get used to the level of competition and become more comfortable.
Is there a need for change? • Is there a gender imbalance in your sport?
• Around 2000 FIVB tried to increase the number of female referees at Olympic Games. As little was done apart from setting a quota little really changed except in countries that hosted Olympic Games – Australia, Greece and China.
• About 5 years ago FIVB identified that they needed more female referees and made it a priority.
• A study in Europe was conducted that identified it took 7 years for a female International Beach Volleyball referee to become an elite international beach volleyball referee. This was a key factor in keeping females refereeing.
• Since the study it has been a priority to increase the number and quality of female referees.
FIVB are keen to publicise
“ Four referees wanting to just be "one of the referees”
“Iranian Woman to Referee at FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix “
• It is important to have role models – when I started I was lucky enough to meet 2 of the 3 more experienced female referees at my first 2 events.
These 4 women were selected for the Women’s World Championships this year
The Story in Australia
• I discovered that Australia had gone from being a leader in female referees to one that had very few women even aiming at the elite level.
• We have many female referees at Australian Schools’ Cup but very few were reaching National grade.
• We were struggling to get females to progress and those who did were not staying in the sport.
• Understand the issue– shortage of female referees at a national level.
• Develop a vision – this should be consistent with stakeholders
• Identify what can help you achieve your vision.
• I worked with Volleyball Australia to apply for a Sport Leadership Grants and Scholarships for Women
Sport Leadership Grants and Scholarships for Women
• To use my Olympic experience in London as a way of getting people interested.
• Visit every state – work with a female referee in that state to run a level 2 course
• Liaise with each of the state offices so they are aware of what is being done.
• The first 6 months were very frustrating -‐ problems with communication, getting the message out to interested parties
• Once I ran the first course we started getting interest
• Northern Territory was particularly pleasing
What we have achieved so far Level 2 • SA – 2 candidates (Classic
Volleyball)
• QLD – 7 candidates (Classic Volleyball)
• NSW – 21 candidates (Classic Volleyball)
• WA – 4 candidates (Beach Volleyball)
Level 1 courses • Darwin – 31 (15 women)
• Alice Springs – 6 (5 women)
The Future – Community of Excellence
• From the courses that have been run we want to try to set up academies in each state
• We are in the process of ensuring all National referees have a mentor
• We are also bringing goal setting as a means of ensuring that we can plan for the future
• We are currently revising all our referee courses
• We are creating a system to identify which referees are keen and able to move up to the next level.
Things to consider • Don’t work in isolation
• Communicate with all stakeholders – the journey is much easier if all levels of the organisation are working towards the same goals
• While encouraging female referees take care that all referees have a pathway – standards still matter
• FIVB – has a goal to increase the quantity and quality of female referees : women only courses, media releases, conferences in some regions – I made use of this when communicating with the states and applying for the grant.
• Volleyball Australia – used my journey
• Don’t limit the pathway referees can travel
I would not be an International Beach Volleyball referee if the following had not happened.
1. Heather Wells had not qualified referee when I started playing.
2. David smith had not asked me to sit a refereeing course for Beach Volleyball
3. Jacqui Murdoch, CEO VVI had not fought for a local female referee for the Gillette FIVB Melbourne World Tour event, 1997.
4. Andrew Hircus had not recommended me to sit an International Beach Volleyball Referee course
5. Patti Salvatore had not recommended me to go to Athens
6. FIVB wanted to increase the number of female referees at Sydney Olympic Games
A BIT OF BACKGROUND • Volleyball is played in more countries than any sport.
• It has been an Olympic Sport for 50 years.
• Beach Volleyball since 1996 when the first female referee was selected.
• At the recent FIVB World
Championships in Poland the
opening match was played in
front of 62,000 people.
Volleyball in Australia • Until Sydney 2000 Volleyball and Beach Volleyball were not so well known. Media attention from a gold medal makes a difference. • Nat Cook is the only player from any country to play in all Olympic Games Beach Volleyball has been in. • More recently the Volleyroos qualified for World League finals and World Championships • We have had referees at every Olympic Games since 1996 except 2008.
• Nat Cook and Kerri Pottharst have just been inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame