While our teams were making waves at the Water Polo Australia National State Championships (NSC), Water Polo Western Australia is proud to have other representatives from our state involved in a variety of roles.  Liz Burman was a Delegate, Fiona Haigh, Manon Gebauer, Aimee Hagan were appointed referees and Isabelle Walls as the Tasmanian representative.

Regional Referee, Aimee Hagan has made the trip from Geraldton after being offered a position at the major event.

For Geraldton local, Hagan, the experience of refereeing at the NSC is one she is making the most of.

“Last year I refereed at the Country Championships and Liz Burman was a fantastic support to me, she approached me at the end about putting in an Expression of Interest for these National Championships,” said Hagan.

“At first I thought I wouldn’t have a chance, but Liz encouraged me to try for it anyway. I sent it in not expecting to hear much more about it – I’m from regional WA and feel like a bit of a little fish in a big pond – but I was pleasantly surprised and nervous when I got the email saying I had been selected.

“It’s been a fantastic experience, I’ve refereed at both the boys and girls pools and had multiple games each day. I’ve been able to learn from delegates from all walks of life, including Nic Hodges who has just returned from the Olympics, John Waldo and Nicola Johnson. I rate them all and they all just bring a different perspective and give different feedback which I love,” she said.

After playing in her home town for years, Hagan first picked up a whistle to help out at her local club, noting she never could have expected to be where she is now.

“I play in Geraldton and there was a point in our competition where it was pretty clear that we needed a few extra sets of hands,” she said.

“Russell McKinnon came back to town and he put the word out, and while I had done maybe one or two games before then, that’s when I really fell into it. I took a chance to see how much I’d like it and I found I quite liked refereeing for the challenge but also because I felt it helped me with my own game, it made me a better player and gave me some more insight.”

In addition to liking the challenge of refereeing, Hagan says there are so many reasons for her to stay involved.

“As well as liking the challenge and being busy, one of my favourite things about refereeing is the relationships you get to build with people you would otherwise never have met. That side of it has been amazing, I feel like I’ve got contacts all over the country now. It gives you so many opportunities. You can stay local and use it as a tool to expand your own game, but if you want the opportunity to go places with it, you can. I never thought I’d be here, cause I’m a little older too, but clearly it’s possible. I’d definitely encourage others to give it a go.

Watch out for the Guided Community Referee Courses Water Polo WA will be offering members soon!