Ballina hockey umpire paves the way for women on the world stage

BALLINA hockey umpire Tara Wood has reached a major milestone in her officiating career while helping pave the way for mothers balancing family life with international sport.

At international level, she has spent recent years on the FIH High Potential Panel, officiating in elite tournaments across Spain, Chile and India.

She was recently promoted to the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Leading Panel for Outdoor Umpires, becoming one of only seven Australians on the panel.

Her journey has also been marked by her role as a trailblazer for women in elite officiating.

After the birth of her first daughter during the COVID-19 period, she successfully secured special approval to travel internationally with her family while nursing.

The arrangement was endorsed through the FIH and has allowed her partner and children to accompany her on overseas appointments.

“I actually put in for special consideration to bring my husband and my daughter because I was still nursing,” she said.

“It was something that had never been done before, and it went all the way to the FIH board.”

Her experience has since contributed to the introduction of a nursing mothers’ policy within the international federation.

It is a development she described as the one she is most proud to have helped influence.

She said the support of both Hockey Australia and the FIH has been central to her success.

“Every single time you go away, you get a coach there who supports you to get better, but you also get marked every time you go away,” Wood said.

“Those scores are what either take you up the ladder or drop you down depending on how you’re performing.”

Umpiring has taken her to countries less commonly associated with hockey such as Egypt, where she has gained valuable experience not only on the pitch but also culturally.

“The experience that you get off the turf is absolutely amazing,” she said.

“You go there for the hockey, but the people you meet and the experiences you have along the way are what make the memories.”

Wood is focused on continuing to perform at her best rather than setting future targets, acknowledging that elite appointments are outside individual control.

“You can’t really say you want to go to the Olympics because appointments are decided by a board,” she said.

“Right now, I’m just really happy with where I’ve gotten to, it was what I wanted.”

“Our ultimate goal is to make the game the best it can be and to allow players to showcase themselves.”