After only just returning from the Suncorp Super Netball Grand Final, AA and IUA badged umpire Josh Bowring kept the intensity of his training high in the lead up to the international season.
Bowring and two other Australian umpires in Helen George and Bronwen Adams, were selected to officiate in the New Zealand leg of the 2018 Quad Series.
“I have been trying to keep my in-season mentality, with the regular training regime that I have been doing for Suncorp Super Netball - so a little bit of conditioning work, interval training, and continue to be really clear with my on court objectives,” said Bowring.
The Tasmanian based high performance official has been around the world with his whistle, after being chosen to umpire the 2015 World Cup Series in Sydney, the 2018 Commonwealth Games and many other international events.
“Getting to umpire the different flavours of netball and the different styles that each country bring to the court is great,” said Bowring.
“There are always different challenges presented to you because of those different styles of playing within each game you umpire, but we love those mental and physical challenges.”
With the much-anticipated World Cup being just around the corner, umpires across the International Test Series could see the 2018 International Series as a perfect opportunity to shine for selectors.
But the experienced umpire admits that the opportunity to be selected isn’t on his mind as much as it might have been when he was first awarded his International Umpire Award.
“You want to go out there in every game and showcase the best of your skills and abilities to allow the players to flourish and showcase their magic,” said Bowring.
“Our performances do get looked at in Suncorp Super Netball and the international level and there is input from umpires and coaches from around the world, so to a degree it is a little bit out of our hands.”
“All we can do is put out our best performance and hope we get chosen from there.”
