My thanks to tutors Mel Juniper and Mike Donald today, as I attended a basic cricket umpiring course at the Kent County Ground in Beckenham. This course is designed to give new umpires the key skills, knowledge and confidence to stand behind the stumps in club and junior cricket. Usefully, no prior experience of umpiring in cricket was required before attending the course. My intention is to be available, if required, during my son Ben’s matches for Beckenham CC next summer.
The course covered the following topics:
* Understanding the role of the umpire
* Gain a basic understanding of umpiring the game
* Answering appeals and the common methods of dismissal
* How to communicate effectively with all stakeholders in the game
* Judging whether or not it is safe to play
The course was split into classroom and practical learning.
I had also completed two e-learning sessions prior to attending, mostly to bring me up to speed on all the safeguarding aspects of umpiring.
