Umpire Clinic at the Wild West Shootout

The scene was Las Vegas, the tournament- The Wild West Shootout, the temperature- a sizzling 90 degrees, so why not hold an umpire clinic as well?

In the backdrop of the pulsating Las Vegas strip, budding, new AFL accrediting umpires took their first steps to Level 1 accreditation. 

The new accreditation course, Level 1, Tier A, was the reason that 10 of us crowded into this hotel room at Terrible’s Hotel and Casino in Nevada.

The boys sat through an interactive audio visual display and finally, after three hours cooped up in room 2273, emerged as the latest recipients of the Level 1 Tier A Umpire’s Certificate.

This tier covered the Role of Umpires, Signaling, Player Safety, equipment and other various components of beginning umpiring.  The next step, Tier B, is for the boys to complete their Level 1 booklet and then umpire for the year at their local level before final observation at the Nationals in Milwaukee in October.  If they are successful in passing these three tiers they will be presented with their AFL Certificates at the Nationals Dinner on Saturday night. 

- Brian Green
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