Local umpire Kristy Robertson may soon add another award to her growing collection, after it was announced on Friday that she is a finalist in the Sports NSW Community Official of the Year Award.
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Robertson, who has long been a standout umpire for Goulburn on the state, national, and international circuits, said the news came as a complete surprise.
"It did come as a shock when I found the email from Hockey NSW in my inbox yesterday," Robertson said.
"The role I do here is to give back because people have given so much to me in the past, I don't do it for recognition but it is nice."
After she won the same award from Hockey NSW, the organisation then nominated Robertson for the Sport NSW edition of the award.
The news comes amid what has been one of Robertson's quietest years in a very long time. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Goulburn local only officiated the National Indoor Hockey Festival in Wollongong and a test series between Australia and Japan's juniors before the rest of the fixtures on the 2020 calendar were called off in March.
"Ultimately everything in 2020 has been cancelled," she said. "I was supposed to go to Under 21s National Championships in July, and this week the Indoor State Championships were called off, as were the National State Championships for 2021.
"Everything's out of our control. I'm just staying ready so that when it does get going again, we're ready to go. In terms of pitch time, it's really just local hockey."
Along with her umpiring duties for the Goulburn District Hockey Association, Robertson is also the local Junior Umpire Development Coordinator.
She has relished the opportunity to focus on this role in recent weeks, which the intensity of her schedule has made difficult in the past.
"This is my third year, in this role, and I've been able to take a bit more time with it," she said.
"This year, because I have fewer commitments, I have more time to support a wider range of kids. We've got kids who are picking up a whistle for the very first time in the Under 9s, and that's not something that's happened under my watch. It's been really nice to focus on that."
The award winners will be announced by Sport NSW later this year.
"Due to the ongoing impact of coronavirus and uncertainty of the continually changing health environment, details of the event are yet to be confirmed," a statement on the Sport NSW website said.
"Further information will be provided to Sport NSW Members, finalists and the public as soon as possible."
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