Just two years ago Sarah Thamm led her South Australian team in the Cricket Australia Under-15 Female Championships in Sydney. Last week the seventeen year old returned to New South Wales to participate in the tournament, but this time in a different capacity – as an umpire.
Sarah Thamm goes from player to umpire in Female Championships
Although still playing in the Women’s A Grade for Port Adelaide Cricket Club in South Australia’s district competition, Thamm began umpiring last season to do something a little different whilst helping her finances. Following in her mum’s footsteps, who is also an accredited umpire, Thamm believes her involvement in umpiring has helped her learn more about her own game in a fun environment.
Currently involved in the Adelaide Turf Cricket Association, Thamm has overseen a number of A3/A4 and Under-17 fixtures – all of which have been male participants. But Thamm encourages other females who might be considering taking up the important role, as it’s not only the best seat in the house, but also a great learning experience. In order to attend the Championships, the Adelaide High School student was required to sit her exams a week early. Mature beyond her years, Thamm will next year complete Year 12 before embarking into the Australian Defense Force Academy as a pilot.
Thamm represents Australian Cricket’s promotion of female umpires and a pathway that is inviting and inclusive for both males and females. In order to improve the opportunities for female umpires moving into the High Performance/First Class system, Cricket Australia has just released a grant scheme that states can access to help encourage and develop female officials. Former international and interstate female players have been encouraged back into the game in an official capacity, in a similar manner that has proven successful with the men. The overall aim of the grant is to establish a credible pathway for the development of female umpires for CA competitions and eventually have a female First Class umpire.
In line with the initiative, the WACA held the first female-only umpire course in late November involving a dozen females between the ages of 16 and 21. The WACA have also nominated Ashlee Kovalevs to attend the Cricket Australia Under-18 Female Championships, being held in Ballarat early January. Kovalevs currently umpires in the Women’s A Grade competition and will be the first female umpire to represent Western Australia in the national underage championships.