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Olympics delight for hockey umpire

Tuesday, 12 February 2008

A SOUTH Dublin woman has received a major honour by being appointed as a hockey umpire for the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Carol Metchette will become the first female hockey umpire from Ireland to referee at the Olympic Games, and adds to the vast array of honours she earned as a player.
Dublin born Carol had a good introduction to hockey when she attended Wesley College where she won the school treble - the ESB Kate Russell All-Ireland Schools’ Championship, Leinster Schools’ League and Leinster Schools’ Cup.
Carol, primarily a left back, represented her province Leinster at all levels and played her club hockey with Old Alexandra where she won two ESB Irish Senior Cups in 1988 and 1991.
She also won numerous league and cup titles during her playing career with Old Alex.
While still enjoying her successful playing career, Carol started umpiring in a rather casual manner.
“If the club was stuck, I would just go out and help them by umpiring on a Saturday after my own game,” she said.
When she retired as a player in 2002, Carol started to umpire on a more regular basis and was appointed at domestic level to umpire at numerous cup semi-finals and finals.

Her first international appointment came in 2002 when she was appointed to the Under 18 Europeans in Rotterdam where she really got a taste for umpiring.
“It was such a fantastic tournament,” stated Carol. “It really was enjoyable.”
Since then, the EuroHockey Federation and International Hockey Federation has appointed Carol to numerous tournaments all over the world, while also continuing to umpire at domestic level.
Among the numerous high profile events Carol has umpired at include the 2005 Junior World Cup in Chile and the recent EuroHockey Nations Championship in Manchester.
However, Carol’s appointment to the Olympic Games is the absolute pinnacle and she was obviously thrilled at the news.
“I was speechless when I got the notification as it is such a huge honour to be appointed to umpire at the Olympics and I am both thrilled and proud,” Carol added.
The next few months look set to be busy for this married mother-of-two.
In March, she is off to Paris to umpire at the EuroHockey Cup Winners Cup, and in April she is heading out to the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Last year, Carol was also recognised for her excellent umpiring skills when she received the Umpire of the Year Award at the ESB Dawson Travel Irish Hockey Awards.
Ireland’s Ray O’Connor, who was Ireland’s first male umpire to be appointed to the Olympics, will also travel to Beijing as the Men’s Umpires’ Manager.

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