Katrina Turner

"Since I started with Formthotics almost 3 years ago, the company have been supportive of my umpiring journey (and also my return to work post baby!). I'm grateful for the opportunity to receive sponsorship from Formthotics to help with my preparation towards Comm Games."

Who I am and how I got started

Juggling umpiring, her career, all while being a mother to a toddler

I’ve been involved with hockey since I was 6 years old, growing up playing in Nelson. I started umpiring club hockey when I was 13 to give back to the sport, and then started getting appointed to NZ Domestic Tournaments with my first one being Collier Trophy (under 13’s) in Christchurch in 2004.

I gradually made my way up the NZ Domestic tournaments until I got my first appointment to Oceania Pacific Cup in 2011 in Fiji, which gave me my first taste of international hockey. In 2015 I was appointed for the first time to our National Hockey League (top tournament in NZ), then was given the opportunity to go to Breda, The Netherlands to umpire a 6 Nations Tournament which is where I gained my international badge. I umpired my first senior international game in Nelson (NZ v Argentina), and have gone to a variety test series in New Zealand and tournaments over the last few years, including Melbourne for a 4 nations series, Bangkok for Hockey 5s qualifiers for the Youth Olympics, Hiroshima for World Series Finals tournament. I was appointed to the Junior World Cup that was to be held in South Africa in December 2021, but had to withdraw after not being able to gain an MIQ spot to return in NZ after the event, and then the appointment to the Commonwealth Games came soon after this.

How did you prepare for an event like the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games?

To prepare for the tournament I have three focus points. First is fitness to make sure I’m match fit- I train twice a day (run 5-10km in the morning) and CrossFit at lunch to ensure I’m fit enough to umpire a top level game. I also umpire 1-2 club games on weekends mixing between our Premier men’s and women’s competitions to give me game experience before I head off. The second focus point is match analysis which involves watching a variety of clips of moments in hockey game and analysing the scenario, decision and outcome of the decision. This is done independently, and as part of the wider Commonwealth Games panel (we have a website portal we can share clips and comment on them). The third part is the mental preparation which I haven’t been too good at staying disciplined with. I listen to podcasts on mental preparation/coping with pressure etc while walking our dogs, with my son in a pram after work.

Best moments/highlights of the trip?

Its hard to pinpoint the best moments because the experience itself was a once in a lifetime. The standout moments to me were my first game India v Ghana, being back out on an international game after 3 years, and the journey to get back to that level post pregnancy made it feel worth it. In the game, the spectators were supporting Ghana (mainly Wales supporters waiting for the next game of the session), and it really supported the “friendly games” tag that the Commonwealth Games has.

Another highlight would have been umpiring the India v Canada game. This was a tough contest between the two, and the winner of the game went to the semi-finals.