In Utrecht, UDP group 14 had our first trip to kick off our UDP experience
on the weekend of 6th-8th March
The group consists of Elena Ozerskaia (BLR), Lizelotte Wolter (NED), Ellen Duffy (IRL), Harry Collinson (ENG), Richard Muller (GER) and Tommy Croese (BEL).
Our mentors are Tom Goode (IRL) and Caroline Brunekreef (NED)
On Friday we all made our way to SV Kampong HC in Utrecht. There we spent time getting to know each other and make the necessary introductions. Tom and Caroline gave us an introductory talk telling us about their plans for the weekend and the year ahead. After some exercises to help us get to know each other, we were joined by the amazing Sarah Wilson and Erik Klein Nagelvoort. We had dinner with them and got to know Sarah. She had kindly agreed to let us watch her games for the weekend and give us an insight into
her experiences. On Friday night, we went to watch Sarah umpire with Lisette Baljon (NED) the
Hoofdklasse ladies game between Laren and Amsterdam. We observed the styles adopted during the game and how Lisette and Sarah worked together as well as aspects we ourselves are working on such as positioning and communication.
On Saturday morning we returned to SV Kampong to have a talk from Sarah. She spoke about what it takes to perform at the top level particularly consistency, dealing with pressure, social media and the role of the video
umpire. This was a brilliant talk as we then got to ask Sarah questions about her Olympic preparation and her journey to the top. After lunch, Sarah and Lizelotte then went out to umpire a boys U18 game
between Kampong and Leiden. This was a great experience for Lizelotte and we all learned from asking questions afterwards. We were then joined by Sarah for a “dutch-style” dinner of pancakes and all
got to relax and have a good laugh for the evening.
On Sunday morning Tom gave us a presentation on tournament preparation. We then watched Lizelotte and Caroline umpire the Hoofdklasse ladies game between Kampong and Pinoke. This was a close game with Lizelotte and Caroline using all their experience throughout the game. Lastly, we watched Sarah umpire her third game of the weekend, Hoofklasse men’s game between Kampong and Pinoke. This was a really exciting game with everything in it! After this busy weekend, we all went our separate ways but I’m already looking forward to the next time we meet.
I think I can speak for everyone when I say this group is going to have and amazing experience together. In a short weekend, we have already become a family.
A special thanks to SV Kampong HC for their hospitality and Erik for all his help. And a very special thanks to Sarah for her talks and answering our million questions!
Ellie Duffy, UDP group 14
Due to the current global situation, all exchanges are now on hold. We are working on a programme of support and online webinars to ensure that our UDP umpires stay connected and can continue their umpiring education during this unprecedented time.
