Sharne Mayers Shares Officiating Experience at ACCC Tournament

Zimbabwean cricketer Sharne Mayers has shown her all-round talents, as she recently officiated at the African Cup for Club Champions tournament.

Mayers, who is on the International Hockey Federation (FIH) panel of Umpires, featured in the competition which took place from 13-19 February at the SIKH Union Hockey Stadium.

Previously, Mayers played hockey and represented the Zimbabwean  Schools U18 team in her last two years at school.

The Hockey Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) saw her progress and encouraged her to pursue umpiring, as there were very few women umpires in the country at the time.

In this chat with gsport’s Rudene Hare, Mayers delves into conversation about her hockey journey.

Sharne, thank you for chatting to us here at gsport. You recently officiated at the African Cup for Club Champions. Please nan you share your experience,

It was a very interesting experience. The hockey was great and to be part of the tournament is always a privilege. Kenya Hockey Union did a great job to have a successful tournament in such a short period of time. Hockey in Africa is definitely growing and the quality has certainly improved with the clubs from all over Africa competing in what was a tightly-contested competition. I gained so much as an official, as the skill level from the teams was of a high standard and with the results being key for the teams, I had to ensure that accuracy in decision making was just as high. Kenya is a wonderful place to visit and is accommodating hosts which helped in making us feel at home. It was a wonderful experience.

Can you tell us where your love for hockey started and how did you become an official?

My journey in hockey was a slow start because I was cricket mad from the first time I played it at home in the yard. The school I went to made it compulsory for everyone to play at least one sport every term. Being so keen to try out all the sports (which I did, my netball career did not last as long 😊), I went to hockey practice at school at 8 years old and realised how much fun it was, especially being in a team.

My hand eye-coordination helped in learning the technical aspects, but I was hooked and didn’t look back. I played all through primary school and represented my province in grade 6 and 7. That was the moment I knew I was a decent player. I played all through high school and represented the Zimbabwe Schools U18 team in my last 2 years of high school. My last year at high school saw me constantly get frustrated with umpires and I took it upon myself to learn how to umpire.

My school was very supportive and encouraged me to learn the rules and umpire at the primary school when they had matches. My parents bought my first whistle and after that first primary school game, I didn’t want to stop and challenged myself to get better with each game. As I got better I would umpire our school’s U14 games and get feedback from the coaches so I could improve. It was not always good feedback but I learnt. At this point, umpiring was something to do in the afternoon, as it was better than doing homework.

Once I left high school, I was selected to play for the Zimbabwe women’s hockey team and I started to umpire schools first team matches and men’s league hockey. At this point my umpiring was progressing and I had a hard choice to make. The Hockey Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) saw my progress and encouraged me to pursue umpiring as there were very few female umpires in the country at that time. After months of deliberation and realising the demands of playing both cricket and hockey for the country had a massive toll on my body and my studies.

I chose to play cricket and continue umpiring as it kept me in a sport I loved. I umpired at my first ACCC in 2014 and in 2016 was upgraded to the FIH panel of international umpires. Hockey umpiring is an absolute passion and gives me a chance to continue to be involved in hockey while playing cricket.

What do you enjoy most about officiating?

I get to contribute to a great sport and be on the field when some of the best players are playing. I find it very rewarding when the game is fair and player frustration is low. It becomes great to watch for spectators and hopefully encourages others to play or become an official.

How is hockey growing in Africa and what can be done to see the sport develop?

At the recently ended ACCC, it was fantastic to see the amount of teams participating in the tournament. This does allow for players to be exposed to different styles of play, exposure to international hockey as all the teams had at least 2 national players in them which helps bridge the gap, and the networking and sharing of ideas to grow African hockey is incredible at a tournament like this. Club hockey is where the development should be happening to feed the national team pathways. So sponsorship at that level will result in a better brand of hockey and bring more sponsorship for the national teams. I am not qualified at the specifics but sponsorship at the development stage will go a very long way.

Besides representing Zimbabwe as a Women Cricketer, what else would you say are some of your career achievements to date? 

Besides cricket I was very proud to wear national colours in Hockey for both the National women’s team and U21 team where I was the vice-captain of the side. I have also been very privileged to be in a position to help officials in Zimbabwe and to see a Zimbabwean umpire (Adrian Muchatibaya) on the international stage has been a massive highlight for me.

Lastly, what advice do you have for young girls who would love to be an official one day?

GO FOR IT! It is not always easy but the contribution you have to the game is extremely rewarding. With hard work and discipline, there is nothing stopping you from officiating on the biggest stage.