The latest cohort of the EuroHockey Umpire Development Programme (UDP) graduated during the EHL weekend in Eindhoven earlier this month, marking the end of an intensive two-year journey for eight of Europe’s most promising officials.
Among the graduates were Una Mihajlovic of Croatia and Sam Church of England, two umpires whose pathways into international officiating show the diversity of opportunity the UDP offers.
For Mihajlovic, her entry into hockey itself was almost accidental. Having previously been involved in basketball, she discovered hockey through her local club Trešnjevka in her early 20s and soon attracted the attention of a coach, Darko Končić, who saw potential beyond simply playing.
“One of my coaches was an international umpire and at some point he asked me, ‘Do you speak English? Are you interested in trying umpiring?'” she recalled. “I think it’s just part of my personality. I’m always curious and like learning new things, so I thought, okay, I can try it.”
That willingness to embrace new experiences became a defining characteristic of her career.
While Croatia remains a developing hockey nation, Mihajlovic made the most of every opportunity available to her, accepting appointments across Europe and viewing each tournament as a classroom.
“I was really trying to accept a lot of tournaments and get as much knowledge and feedback as I could,” she explained. “Because I come from a smaller hockey country, we don’t have that much support for umpires and mentorship, so I took every tournament as an opportunity to learn.”
Her dedication did not go unnoticed.
In fact, she became the eighth member of the UDP cohort despite not coming through the established U4E or U4M programmes that typically provide candidates.
Una Mihajlovic umpiring during the 2026 EuroHockey Indoor Championship in Prague. Picture: Will Palmer/World Sport Pics
“I was really surprised and grateful for the opportunity,” she said. “I knew how much this programme could help and, for some reason, people saw potential and wanted to give me a chance.”
For Church, the story began more than a decade ago in the school hockey environment around Banbury. Unlike many young players dreaming of international matches and major finals, he quickly recognised that his greatest contribution to the sport might come from a different angle.
“I wasn’t a very talented player! So, like many, I definitely think the only way I was going to reach the top was with the whistle and it’s worked out,” he said with a smile.
“I still try to play when I can. I think there’s a real benefit of keeping your eye in while playing because you get a different perspective on the game. But certainly I was far more talented with the whistle, which is why I’ve kept going with that.”
Starting out as a teenager, initially umpiring school fixtures before progressing through the English qualification pathway, he found himself encouraged by a series of mentors who helped him develop at every stage.
“My school coach, Richard Hobley, really pushed me along the way,” he explained. “Then you had people like Mark Cumming supporting young umpires through the regional pathway.
“At national level, Sean Edwards is always looking after the younger officials, and then Hamish Jamson works with the international and European guys. There’s always someone there at whatever step of the journey you’re on.”
Those influences eventually helped open the door to EuroHockey appointments. After joining the European pathway in 2023, selection for the UDP quickly followed, creating opportunities that have accelerated his development, including appointments at Under-18 and Under-21 European Championships.
Once on the programme, both officials quickly discovered that the UDP offered much more than technical instruction on the Rules of Hockey.
For Church, one of the most important aspects was sharing experiences with fellow umpires from different countries and backgrounds.
“It was a great two years with a great group of people,” he said. “When you first go into it, you know a few people from U4E and U4M, but to come together as a group of eight for two years, you really develop great friendships with these people.
“It’s also nice to share experiences from around Europe. We learned things that don’t necessarily happen in our league from the others in the group.”
That exchange of ideas was equally valuable for Mihajlovic, whose experiences often differed from those of colleagues from larger hockey nations.
“One of the biggest things was having a group and a safe place where you can always ask a question, get support or get an opinion about a clip,” she said. “We were really connected and talked throughout the two years.”
The programme’s mentoring structure also earned high praise from both graduates. Working alongside experienced international mentors like Gregory Maya-Perez and Fanneke Alkemade gave them direct access to knowledge from officials who have performed at the very highest levels of the sport.
For Church, one of the biggest lessons involved tournament preparation and understanding what separates good officials from elite ones.
“When you look at the speakers we had, like Martin Madden, who’s done an Olympic final, you hear about their experiences and you think maybe one day that could be me,” he said. “It gives you that goal in the distance.”
Sam Church during the EuroHockey U21 Championship in Valencia this year. Picture: Frank Uijlenbroek/World Sport Pics
He added that sessions on preparation fundamentally changed how he approaches major events.
“We sit down and talk about how you would conduct the run-up to a tournament, what your fitness programme would look like and how you prepare. That’s definitely something I’ve thought about much more now. It’s probably something I didn’t think about enough before.”
For Mihajlovic, the programme opened up discussions that are often overlooked in traditional officiating education.
“Both Fanneke and Greg were incredibly experienced and really good at what they do,” she said. “Having a dedicated mentor was really useful, especially when I was preparing for tournaments.”
But beyond that, it was the broader conversations that proved transformative.
“For me, it was really useful to talk about topics that you don’t usually discuss. Mental resilience, preparation and understanding situations in hockey. It’s not just about the rules and decisions. There are a lot of different things that actually make you a good umpire.”
That theme of mental development surfaced repeatedly throughout both interviews.
Modern international umpiring is not simply simply about learning the rulebook. The challenge is consistently making the right decisions under pressure while managing communication, emotions and expectations.
“Most umpires know the correct decision when they watch a clip,” said Mihajlovic. “The challenge is using that knowledge during a game when it’s really under pressure and in the moment.”
Church agrees.
“You can only control the controllables,” he said. “I’ve definitely learned that if I prepare as well as I can, turn up and do the best I can on the day, then everything else is out of my control.”
He also highlighted the growing importance of research and analysis before tournaments.
“Things like researching teams have become more and more important. You need to understand how teams play, how they react and what trends are emerging. That side of preparation is hugely important now.”
The influence of the programme has also extended beyond the participants themselves.
Inspired by the support systems she observed among colleagues from larger hockey nations, Mihajlovic returned home determined to create something similar in Croatia.
“I was a little bit jealous at first because I saw how much support they had,” she admitted. “But then I realised that if I couldn’t have exactly the same thing, I could at least start something new in my country.”
During the programme she became chair of Croatia’s umpiring committee and established a support network for the country’s international officials.
“We opened a group where we can share experiences from tournaments and support each other. It’s a small step, but it was inspired by what I saw through UDP.”
Perhaps the most striking outcome of the two years, however, was neither technical knowledge nor career progression. It was friendship.
Ask either graduate what they will remember most and the answer quickly turns to the people they met along the way.
“It’s a special feeling,” said Church. “Being one of eight people in a cycle is really special. To share it with people I now call very close friends is amazing. I’ve been on holiday with some of them. Spending those two years together was really special.”
The UDP 17 and 18 groups in Eindhoven in October.
Mihajlovic tells a remarkably similar story “When I look at appointments now, the first thing I look for is whether anyone from my UDP group is going to be there,” she said. “We’re really close now. We shared a lot together.”
She pointed to trips made independently of the programme as evidence of how the bonds have endured.
“We went to Belgium together to watch hockey. It wasn’t related to UDP at all. We became friends and that’s really nice.”
As for the future, neither sees graduation as a final destination. For Mihajlovic, the biggest lesson remains self-belief.
“The main message was that we should believe in ourselves as much as our mentors believe in us,” she said. “Sometimes the biggest blockers are our own thoughts and confidence issues. We just need to believe we can do it and continue working.”
And for Church, the certificate received in Eindhoven is simply another step in a much longer journey.
“It’s a special achievement, but it’s just the start of the journey for us,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll carry on for years to come.”
EuroHockey Umpire Development Programme (UDP 17) graduates
| Una Mihajlović | CRO |
| Manouk Bakker | NED |
| Thalia Bellemans | BEL |
| Maya Antia-Frese | GER |
| Sam Church | ENG |
| Jesús Medinilla | ESP |
| Oli Brown | IRL |
| Aidan Hankins | SUI |
UDP 17 mentors
| Fanneke Alkemade | NED |
| Grégory Maya-Perez | FRA |
