SWFL: Umpire Katrina Edwards cites lack of internal and external support as factor in retirement

A South West Football League goal umpire who retired at the weekend, after officiating 701 games, has cited a lack of support from both inside and outside the umpiring fraternity as one of her reasons for hanging up the flags. Katrina Edwards called time on Sunday after she officiated in the Eaton versus Busselton league game, receiving a guard of honour from both teams as she left the field. She first umpired football on the boundary in the mid-1980s and has been involved in the SWFL for the last 12 years since moving to the region, initially getting involved alongside her son Chris. While Edwards stressed she was not leaving the game on bad terms and her time had been largely positive, she was sharing her experiences in the hope of inspiring change. “I’ve decided for the sake of my mental health to walk away, rather than continue to put myself through what I’ve been receiving,” she said. “When you’re umpiring, you cop abuse as you normally would from players, spectators, coaches, that sort of thing, but over the years I’m finding that we’re not getting the support within our own umpiring group that we should be. “It had a really good family feel when (I) first started umpiring, unfortunately now it’s going away and it’s very competitive rather than being a family feel. “I had approached my coaches earlier this season to let them know I was struggling on the mental health side of things. “Too many people are walking away from umpiring and retiring for all sorts of reasons, but when it really comes down to it, I know we’ve lost at least half a dozen umpires last year because they’re not happy with the way things are going.” Her passion for the game is still strong and Edwards told the Times she wasn’t leaving on bad terms, but rather hopes change could continue to spread. In a statement to the South Western Times, the SWFL Umpires Association said they were doing all they could to support umpires, including appointing Edwards in a female liaison officer role earlier this year. “As an Association we are also very aware of the impact that umpiring can have on individuals and families alike,” it reads. “We consistently encourage all umpires, family members and volunteers to reach out if they ever feel the need. “Football is a wonderful avenue to build friendships, connections and seek support and the Umpires Association is no different. “Both the SWFL and the WAFC have links, resources, and contacts for anyone who is struggling in any capacity, these are outlined on the homepage of each entity. “We have developed a strong motto of fun and family and hold several events and food nights which has developed a strong culture and network amongst our team.” Edwards said the difficulty of her experiences with umpiring had been exacerbated by being a female in a “predominantly male environment”. “You just feel like you’ve got to try that much harder to prove that you deserve to be out there,” she said. “That’s why I try and encourage as many young female umpires (as I can) to come through and give it a go. “It is a very slow process. We just need to work on giving them a lot more support than what is there currently.” The SWFLUA said Edwards’ appointment in the female liaison role had helped “the connection between the younger female umpires and the committee” and had “made it easier for people to relay issues and find solutions”. Having started as a boundary umpire in the Central Wheatbelt Football League nearly 40 years ago, Edwards said she would leave the game with many good memories. “The best moment was being able to do the 2016 league grand final in goals and my son got to do the boundary, that was a big standout,” she said. “A couple of years ago, we did an all-female game where both the field umpires, the boundary umpires and the goal umpires were all women — in a women’s game. “Unbeknown to us, earlier this year with Emma Hutchins, both her and I were the first female umpires to do a Colts game together in the South West Football League.” The SWFLUA said they extended their “absolute gratitude and best wishes” to Edwards. “Katrina joined us in 2012 and umpired 700+ games in the SWFL — during this she was awarded SWFLUA Life Membership. As a loyal and committed member of our umpiring family, her experience and knowledge of the game will be missed,” they said. “We wish her and her family all the best in her retirement from the game.”