BJS Women’s Umpiring Academy takes flight

A wintery July Monday evening at the VAFA’s Elsternwick Park saw the inaugural skills and fitness session for the BJS Women’s Umpiring Academy. This was the second academy event in the last month after the girls came together for an off-site Bounce session, and the first that allowed the girls to train as an academy with a dedicated session.

16 females from the VAFA and SMJFL umpiring program combined for a night of fitness and skills drill run by the VAFA’s Head Coach of Umpiring Russell Davidson and Head of Fitness Matt Clinton which saw the girls train with each other in a variety of field, boundary and goal umpiring drills. Post training the girls gathered for dinner in the social rooms and talked about their experiences in umpiring and what made them get into umpiring, speaking highly of the VAFA umpiring culture.

The Women’s Academy will have one final training session later in the season to round out the program for 2021.

The VAFA is proud to support women in achieving their goals in umpiring by providing a fun environment where they can learn, develop or progress their umpiring and the BJS Women’s Umpiring Academy aims to increase female participation and active community engagement through our junior leagues, VAFA clubs and pathway programs.