Interview with the Umpire
Gareth Sullivan
- Chiltern, England
- April 2020
this Is Pétanque are proud to present an Interview with the Umpire. In this, our first edition, we caught up with Gareth Sullivan to ask him about his views on umpiring in England and his own personal aspirations as an umpire within the sport of pétanque.
The Interview ...
Whats your Club, Region & Country?
My club is Bancroft Park which is in Chiltern Region, England
What year did you start playing pétanque?
I started playing back in 2001
What was your favourite competition that you were involved in, in 2019?
I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the Tog24 La British Open Pétanque Championships.
What was it about that event that made it stand out to you?
I thought it was extremely well run with a great mix of players, a great format and held in fantastic surroundings. It was also played in what I would say, was the friendliest, most relaxed atmosphere that I've ever played or umpired in.
In what year did you first become an umpire / pass your first qualification?
I think it was roughly 2009.
What was the driving factor in your decision to become an umpire?
I didn't want anyone having an advantage over me, so I wanted to learn all the rules. From there I was encouraged to take the exam.
What level of umpiring are you qualified to and to what level would you like to reach?
I am currently a level two umpire. I was hoping to get to National grade earlier this year, but the exam was cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak. My aim is to be of an international grade.
What’s the biggest obstacle you come across when umpiring a game or competition and how do you/have you overcome it?
I think the biggest obstacle is the lack of Umpires at an event, this means extremely long days, often without a break and not being able to be as proactive as I would like.
What do you think the biggest difficulty is in attracting people towards becoming an umpire and do you think there are ways to change it?
I honestly don't know, I love umpiring and feel that I have a positive relationship with the players, so I don't understand why others don't want to umpire. Looking at other federations, the biggest difference is that they have a lot of young Umpires, in England it seems to be something you take up at the end of your playing days rather than at the beginning.
If there was one competition you could be involved in umpiring, which one is it and why?
One day I would love to umpire at a CEP event like a European Championship. I know that I have the skill base and knowledge to achieve this and with hard work I'm sure I'll get there one day.
Do you ever feel like you have missed a playing opportunity by umpiring a particular competition or vise versa?
Not really. I really enjoy playing pétanque, especially the Inter-Regionals. However I am never going to be a Jack Blows, Scott Ashby or a Jason White, or anyone else at that England International level but I can be the best Gareth Sullivan I can be and represent England at an international event with pride as an umpire. I know I can never be the best player in the country but I can aim to be the best umpire in the country.
