Couldn’t attend the Virtual Conference?
The session is recorded, and for $5 you get access to this valuable conference so you can catch up on everything you missed!

A virtual conference for officials, regardless of sport, going beyond rules and manuals to help maximize their officiating potential!

Hosted by:

YOU WILL:

• Learn from elite level officials/specialists who understand the demands of sports officiating.
• Gain a unique perspective on umpiring through experiences shared by the presenters.
• Pick up valuable information that can’t be found in rule books and manuals.
• Leave the weekend with new information and skills to maximize your officiating potential.

THE DETAILS:

When: Saturday, February 27 and Sunday, February 28
Time: 9:30 am – 3 pm (MT) each day
Where: Online (link will be sent out a week prior to conference)
Cost: $25 per person ($5 discount if you register by February 12)
To register: Go to the Conference Eventbrite Page

Spaces are limited! Register today!

Questions?

Kris Hartley, Conference Chair
(ASUA Education Committee Chair/Baseball Alberta Umpires Level 1-3 Coordinator)
Email: education@asua.ca

Meet your Presenters

Scott McLean

Psychology of Officiating

Scott (Calgary, AB) has had a long and distinguished referee career in the sport of Volleyball. He has held administrative posts for Calgary Volleyball Officials, Volleyball Alberta and Volleyball Canada. He is currently the Head of Volleyball Canada’s Referee Committee.

Highlights of Scott’s international career were being assigned as R1 Gold Men’s match, 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto; R1 Gold Men’s FIVB Group 2 Finals in Australia; and Men’s World Championship in 2018 in Europe.

Scott is a registered forensic social worker and a psychologist and holds a PhD (Psychology) from the University of South Africa. He is a professor in the Department of Justice Studies at Mount Royal University and has a consulting/ private practice in trauma and vicarious trauma working with first responders, and sports psychology.

Scott will focus on the psychology of officiating. He will provide strategies on maintaining focus, controlling emotions and resetting your mind to push your officiating to the next level.

Rhonda Pauls

Mentorship

Rhonda (Abbotsford, BC) has been umpiring baseball in B.C. since 1998. She has been in the Baseball Canada National umpire program since 2008. In those 12 years, she has represented BC at six National championships as an umpire or supervisor. Since 2012, she has represented Canada internationally four times in countries such as Japan, Cuba, Mexico and the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto. In 2014, Rhonda was the recipient of the Dick Willis Memorial Award as Baseball Canada’s Umpire of the Year.

Off the field, Rhonda has been heavily involved at a provincial and national level. In B.C., she is the Education chair and the President of the BC Baseball Umpires Association. Rhonda is a Master Course Conductor for Baseball Canada and is an advocate and resource creator for mentorship of youth officials. Nationally, she works tirelessly on umpire education as part of Baseball Canada’s Instructor Development portfolio and has presented to many organizations/provinces about mentorship of officials.

In her professional career, Rhonda has served as the Chair, Vice-Chair and Trustee of the Abbotsford School District since 2011.

Rhonda will share her knowledge and expertise on building a successful mentorship program from a variety of perspectives.

Lisa Turbitt

Evaluation and Analysis

Lisa (Milton, ON) is a national/ international baseball umpire whose 40-year career began when the umpires no-showed at her brother’s t-ball game.

Lisa has represented Baseball Canada as an umpire and supervisor at more than 20 National Championships including twice at Senior Men’s. She is an umpire in Ontario’s Inter-County Baseball League, and was the recipient of the Dick Willis Memorial Award as Baseball Canada’s Umpire of the Year in 2004. She has represented Canada numerous times internationally, including in 2001 at the Women’s Baseball World Series. Lisa was chosen to umpire at this year’s World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Arizona, the first woman selected.

Lisa has been involved in umpire development at all levels – including internationally with the WBSC. She is currently a member of the WBSC’s Baseball Umpire Commission and has been the WBSC Umpire Director at international events such as the World University Games, WBSC Women’s World Cup, U-15 World Cup, and U-12 World Cup.

Lisa will share her knowledge and expertise from an evaluator’s perspective and provide tips and strategies on evaluations as well as suggestions that umpires can use to self-analyze their own officiating.

Christina Drumm

Working the Bases

Chris (Oceanside, California) has been an active umpire since 1994 for USA Softball, NFHS, NCAA and WBSC, and she has umpired in multiple USA Softball National Championships, and seven ISF/ WBSC Championships including three Worlds in New Zealand, Japan and Venezuela.

Chris works multiple NCAA conferences including the WAC, MWC, Big West, BIG 10 and PAC-12. She has been assigned to multiple NCAA Division I Regional Championships, Super Regional Championships, and five Women’s College World Series. Chris has served as a UIC/AUIC for USA Softball for National Championships and WBSC Softball World and is a member of the San Diego County Hall of Champions.

Chris was selected as an umpire for the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games. She was also named Commissioner, USA Softball of Southern California, and serves as Deputy Director of Umpires, USA Softball and Regional Coordinator North America, WBSC.

Chris will discuss strategies for working the bases to maximize your performance regardless of the number of umpires on the field

Erica Holmes

Injury Prevention

Erica (Calgary, AB) is an elite level hockey referee who has officiated six Hockey Canada National Championships, the 2011 and 2015 Canada Winter Games, and a CIS (USport) National Championship. Officiating has taken her to China with the Canadian Women’s Hockey League and she has skated at the Junior and University levels.

Erica began playing fastball when she was six years old and attended several National and Western Canadian Championships throughout her competitive years. She was a member of Team Manitoba and participated in the Western Canada Games in 2003. She still plays both fastball and hockey at the Senior level in Calgary.

In her professional life, Erica is a physiotherapist and has worked with many different sports including Canada Ski Cross and Hockey Canada. She was part of the Interdisciplinary Support Team at the 2017 Canada Summer Games and 2019 Canada Winter Games. Her work has provided her the opportunity to travel the world to help support Canada’s elite athletes perform at their best.

Erica will provide tips and strategies on injury prevention through a proactive approach to ensure those nagging injuries don’t translate into something more serious that impede your ability to officiate at your maximum potential.

Tom Kowal

Effective Communication

Tom (High River, AB) was introduced to hockey officiating by his dad, at the age of 13 to gain respect for the officials.

In 1988, Tom began his career in the Western Hockey League (WHL) as a linesman for three years where he was selected to officiate the 1991 WHL League Championship series. Tom transitioned to a WHL referee (1991-98), working five WHL finals, two Memorial Cups and the 1997 World Junior Championship in Switzerland.

In 1994, he became part of the NHL trainee program and was signed by the NHL in 1998.Over his 20-year NHL referee career, Tom officiated approximately 1100 NHL games, the 2011 All-Star game and the 2014 Heritage Outdoor Classic in Vancouver. Since retiring in 2018, he has re-joined the WHL as an Officiating Development Coach as well as owning a garden centre.

Tom will discuss verbal and non-verbal tips, techniques and strategies to communicate effectively with players and coaches.

Jen Pawol

Deeply Rooted In Your Own Confidence

Jen (Decatur, Illinois) is a former National Professional Fastpitch umpire and an NCAA Division 1 softball conference umpire in the Big 10 and others, having worked multiple post-season conference championships for the Atlantic-10, OVC, and Ivy League. Athletically, Jen played NCAA Division 1 Softball as a catcher and won a World Championship with the inaugural USA Women’s Baseball Team in 2001, held in Toronto.

In 2016, Jen was hired by Minor League Baseball and became the 7th woman in the history of men’s baseball to umpire professionally. Jen is currently in the Florida State League, and has umpired for MiLB in the South Atlantic League, Midwest League, New York-Penn League, and the Gulf Coast League with post-season selections. She is a graduate of the 2016 Umpire Training Academy and Advanced Course.

Confidence is contagious. No matter who you are, or what level of play you umpire, the umpire’s confidence sets the tone. An umpire who exudes confidence has the golden key to successful game management.

Jen will share ideas on how to manage a game by becoming deeply rooted in your own confidence level, working with others on a crew, and handling difficult situations under pressure.

Carrie Mullin Innes

Sports Nutrition

Carrie (Calgary, AB) is a registered dietitian who has previously worked in acute and outpatient clinical care. Carrie is one of the few dietitians in Canada to have completed the International Olympic Committee Diploma in Sports Nutrition. She specializes in sports nutrition for recreational and competitive athletes as well as healthy weight management and medical issues such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disease and more.

She currently works with a wide variety of athletes in sports such as dance, golf, soccer, hockey, weightlifting, cycling, and running. Carrie has worked with the Canadian Paralympic swim team, Canadian Alpine ski team and Speed Skating Canada. Personally, Carrie competed in track and field, road racing, cross country and marathon running.

Carrie will focus on hydration and nutrition tips and strategies so that everyone can fuel their body to optimize physical and mental performance, heal from injury and improve their health.