Mums on the field - A balancing act
Among our hockey whanau, there are three exceptional women who stand out when we think of International Women’s Day. Lani, Katrina, and Mallory are not just familiar faces in our community; they are role models and examples of the unsung heroes of our game, seamlessly harmonizing their passion for umpiring with the demands of motherhood and professional careers. Today, we shine a spotlight on their remarkable journeys, exploring what it takes to excel in the world of umpiring while juggling the multifaceted roles of being mothers and professionals.
Katrina, a qualified chartered accountant from Christchurch, is a virtuoso when it comes to balancing work, family, and her umpiring life. With four-year-old Emmett keeping her on her toes, Katrina manages to balance her professional and mum life with impressive efficiency. She even told us every morning she gets up to run at 4:30 am and will do game analysis while on the treadmill, then squeeze in a gym class during her lunch break at work. “It can be difficult to find time in the day to get everything done, so I’ve learnt to maximise the use of my time. If it’s important for you, then you’ll always find a way to make it work.”
Every mother's return to work journey looks a little different, and for Katrina, she was back umpiring club hockey just three months after Emmett was born. She mentioned that it took a solid nine months before she felt back to full fitness, but being able to run on the turf so soon was a huge testament to her determination to return to top-level umpiring. Her first test match back at international level was 18 months later on day 1 of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. She says her comeback "may have looked easy, but it involved a tremendous amount of hard work." Katrina has just been in Sydney for her first round of the Pro League, and will also head to Spain, and China. Her story is one of dedication and relentless pursuit of her passion.
Mallory, hailing from North Harbour, is another mum with an impressive ability to fit it all in. Mallory, with kids aged nine and six has been juggling mum life with work and umpiring for a while now and so really is THE master of multitasking. She tells us that her kids are her biggest supporters, often accompanying her to games, whether she's playing or umpiring. She credits her partner, who supports her both at home and in life, enabling her to pursue her own passions and ensuring she had the time to prepare both mentally and physically for getting back to umpiring. She also echos Katrina’s sentiment saying “If something’s important to you, you’ll make time for it.”
Last but certainly not least is Lani, a familiar face on the Hamilton hockey fields and the most recent returning umpiring mum. Remarkably, Lani was back with a whistle in her hand just four months after her son Tommy was born. Her return to international hockey has been impressive, especially considering she had Tommy just last year and recently participated in the FIH Nations Cup in Chile. Lani explains that, like athletes, umpires must pass fitness tests to qualify for international-level officiating. Although she didn't have big plans to return so quickly and didn't put a lot of pressure on herself, she kept up her exercise as much as she could throughout her pregnancy, giving her the edge she needed to get back into things quicker than expected. She’s loved being back around world-class hockey again, and we must say, we were incredibly proud to have a little piece of New Zealand umpiring success at the Nations Cup.
How these incredible women manage to excel in their umpiring careers, maintain their professional lives, and nurture their families is truly impressive. It takes an extraordinary amount of hard work, dedication, and passion to juggle it all. We are incredibly fortunate to have role models like Lani, Katrina, and Mallory within our community. They embody the spirit of resilience and commitment, and their stories are a reminder to take a moment this International Women’s Day to celebrate all the incredible ladies in your life. Happy International Women's Day to all our hockey wahine!