(VIENNA, AUSTRIA) This year in conjunction with the Austrian Open Lacrosse Tournament in Vienna, FIL sent Women’s Officiating Committee Chair, Sandy Goldthorpe (USA) to give a clinic for the Austrian women’s umpires. 6 umpires attended the all day clinic the Thursday before the tournament began. They were: Dani Dürr (President of the Austrian Lacrosse Association), Babsi Dürr, Nicole Küntzel, Theresa Kuglitsch, Claudia Mikula, Kay Bierbacher, and Carola Eyßell. The lucky 6 then put theory into practice spending then next intense 3 days of the tournament running their legs off with Sandy always close at hand teaching, encouraging and fine-tuning their performances. Joining the Austrian umpires on the field were Dorothy Hirsch and Sara Benbow from England and Bohdan Fuka of the Czech Republic. Everyone’s hard work paid off as the teams and coaches voiced their support and appreciation of the umpires’ efforts.
FIL is working hard towards building umpiring depth all over Europe this summer. Specifically for the women’s game, clinics are being offered at The Prague Cup, the Lowlands Tournament and at the Berlin Open in addition to the one just held in Vienna. The clinicians for Prague will be US International umpire Rala Heinen and German International Anika Altenhain. Rala will also be dashing off to Amsterdam after her Prague clinic to give a second clinic at the Lowlands tournament. Rounding off the summer of European clinics will be one at the Berlin Open given by US International Lauren Charwat.
If you or anyone you know is interested in learning to umpire women’s lacrosse, or in attending a FIL clinic, please contact
Sandy Goldthorpe – goldthorpelax@live.com, or
Lauren Charwat – charwatl@att.net, for more information.
Photos from the Clinic
