Netball Australia is pleased to announce Sharon Kelly OAM has been appointed to the position of Head Coach, leading the Performance Umpiring Program.
Kelly takes on the role after a decorated career as a high-performance umpire which included over 100 Test Matches and countless national finals. She most recently served as Umpire Coach at Netball NSW and was a member of the 2021 Suncorp Super Netball Allocations Panel.
Kelly will be joined by Stacey Campton as Development Coach, with the pair sharing responsibility of the preparations and performance support of the 2022 Suncorp Super Netball Umpire Squad and the Netball Australia Umpire Talent Pool.
Netball Australia Executive General Manager of Performance Stacey West is delighted to have the skilled duo on board.
"Sharon’s proven experience in leading a successful umpiring program, combined with her experience with the Suncorp Super Netball, sees her well-placed to hit the ground running in this important role,” she said.
"Sharon has a tremendous passion and commitment for umpiring and brings a clear understanding of high-performance, coaching and talent development which will benefit the progression of umpiring at the elite level.”
West believes Campton will contribute greatly to the technical development of umpires, having extensive experience umpiring at both a national and international level.
“Stacey knows our umpires well and the umpires know her well. She understands the game and its clubs, but importantly has some innovative ideas to enhance the way our umpires prepare for a game," she said.
Sharon Kelly OAM said she was looking forward to helping umpires throughout the system to realise their full potential.
“I feel honoured to be appointed such an important role. I’m looking forward to working with all the umpires throughout the pathways and developing programs that assist and enable them all to achieve their very best,” she said.
The new leadership positions reflect an increase in investment by the sport in Performance Umpiring, and a commitment to delivering the Performance Umpiring Strategy.
Developed in collaboration with stakeholders across the netball system, the strategy aims to strengthen partnerships, improve integration of performance support, and uncover innovations in coaching practices for performance umpires.
Kelly will begin as Head Coach immediately, with Campton commencing as Development Coach in January 2022.
Information on selections for the 2022 Suncorp Super Netball Umpire Squad will be released shortly to the network, along with a call for nominations and expressions of interest.
