PHOTO
A South Canterbury-based hockey umpire has reached the pinnacle of the position.
Earlier this month Ben Grant was promoted to the FIH [International Hockey Federation] leading panel, the highest level in international umpiring.
Grant said he began his umpiring journey in South Canterbury 24 years ago.
“I first gave it a go when I was 12, and now I’m 36. I did a half-field game, then did a few more and then the next year I did seven or eight games.
“The year after that I got told I was a bit of a natural at it and was invited to the national under-13 camps.
“I went there as a 14-year-old and then just started working up through the ranks.
“I was lucky and got to do national finals, under-15s, under-18s, Rankin Cup, and under-21s.
“Then I got appointed to the national league which is New Zealand’s top, most important league as a 20-year-old, which is pretty rare.”
He said his first taste of international umpiring came in 2017.
“There’s four levels of international and you start at the bottom of the pile. The first one, if you become international, there’s probably around 100 men around the world that are international graded.
“Then to get on the next one, you’ve got to go to several tournaments and get a mark or a grade high enough to be eligible for promotion.
“I got that about three or four years ago and moved up to the centre panel and there’s about 40 men on that.”
Grant said he then made the high potential panel around 18 months ago, a small group of no more than 10 umpires that are given a fast track opportunity to make the leading panel.
“You get given X amount of tournaments in a one-year period, and it’s either sink or swim. You either perform and put yourself in with the chance to get promoted or you get put back in the standard panel.
“I got put in that and had a couple of really good Pro League events. Things just went my way and now I’ve been promoted to the top panel in the world, which has about 35 men on it at the moment.
“It’s been a journey. I’ve got 32 international caps, which sounds like a lot, but in the grand scheme of things, some of most experienced in the world have done 150, 170.”
Unlike football, rugby or cricket where being a top referee or umpire is a full-time occupation, that is not the case for hockey.
“It’s not a paid gig, so you’ve still got to have your day job but it’s a great way to see the world and a great way to meet new people.
“I’m very lucky with [my job in] the police that they’re pretty accommodating even at short notice, they’re very supportive of having their people in the community, so I’m thankful for that.”
Grant said although though he had made the top panel he would still have to work hard to be appointed for the big events.
“There’s only about 15 men and 15 women who go to the Olympics and World Cup and generally only two from each continent.
“In Oceania we have some of the best umpires in the world. In that top panel there are about eight from New Zealand and Australia.
“So while a lot of people might think you get to the top and don’t have to work hard anymore, it’s the opposite. It’s like being back in the classroom and you’ve got to make the most of it when an opportunity comes up.
“At the same time, you’ve got to enjoy the moments, it’s a real balance. You want to push yourself to try and get to the top, but you’ve got to be out there enjoying what you’re doing as well.”
He said his immediate goal was to get a role on one of the Pro League events at the end of the year.
“The World Cup’s on now, so there’s no appointments done post-World Cup but the Pro League starts up again in December.
“Then the aim would be to try and get to the junior world cup, which is held every two years.”
The long-term goal however was the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane.
“Los Angeles [2028] is probably out of the equation because that gets appointed soon, so the 2032 Olympics is my long-term goal at the moment.
“I’m still young enough that I would be able to go to the 2032 and 2036 Olympics. The compulsory retirement age is 47, so I’ve got 11 more years.
“[2032] sounds ages away but in reality it will come around quickly. I’m not much of a long-term planner though, I like to just take each event that comes, enjoy the moment and find ways to be a little better each game.”
Grant said he was very thankful to everyone that had helped him on his journey.
“It’s pretty cool what I’ve been able to achieve, but I haven’t done it on my own and it wasn’t for a lot of people in the background giving you that pat on the back or giving you a kick up the arse it wouldn’t happen.
“We talk about the umpiring family around the country and whether that’s your own family, or just the people that have helped you along the way or you’ve umpired with all those years. It’s a pretty good support network.
“I think as well if you’re an official or someone wanting to go to the top in your sport, South Canterbury’s a pretty good place to do it. You get some pretty amazing support in behind you here and that’s not lost on me.”