By RUSSELL BENNETT
CRANBOURNE North’s Alkira Secondary College is playing its role in ensuring footy stays healthy long into the future, becoming the home base for the South East Juniors Umpiring Academy.
The first training session was held in late March, with the program running until late next month.
The academy is the result of a collaboration between AFL Victoria, South East Juniors and Alkira and could already be fostering the talents of future AFL grand final umpires.
Students attend weekly training sessions after school at the Alkira campus, with the program complementing the already highly-successful Alkira Sports Academy.
The South East Juniors Umpiring Academy is the 11th of its kind across metropolitan Melbourne. The first was started in 2009 with a view to increasing umpiring participation in youngsters between the ages of 12 and 16.
Alkira’s health and physical education curriculum leader Matthew Roberts said the umpiring academy based at the school “had already started to have a positive impact on the participants’ confidence levels, communication and leadership skills”.
“Some students from the umpiring academy are already starting to contribute to other extra-curricular activities, including umpiring for School Sport Victoria division AFL competitions,” he added.
“Alkira is pioneering individual and personalised learning and the addition of the umpiring academy is the perfect fit for us.”
Roberts said students had already enjoyed the specialised one-on-one training and feedback offered by the academy coach, and some were officiating matches on weekends and getting paid upwards of $60 for their time.
The academy is open to both male and female students, with former South East Juniors umpire Nick McDonald taking the coaching reins. He was earlier this year elevated to the VFL development squad and is officiating in TAC Cup games this season.
