Finding her place on the track: Katerina's officiating journey

Katerina Sobey came into athletics through her children training at North Devon Athletics Club. A club coach approached her at a local meeting and asked for some help. Because she had previously noticed that nearly all the timekeepers at events she attended were men, she happily volunteered to help the timekeeper team and try to address the gender imbalance there. We found out more about her officiating journey.

It was a good fit because she loved watching the races and feeling involved in the sport in a meaningful way. "I am always up for a challenge. It turned out I was quite good at it, and I really enjoyed it from the start."

She told us that she had great support from colleagues who helped guide and encourage her along the way. She found officiating was a great way to stay involved, meet people, support athletes of all ages, and be part of the competition environment. "It’s very rewarding to know you are helping events run smoothly."

Katerina wasn’t completely sure at the beginning, but quickly discovered how rewarding being an official was. She decided she wanted to progress along the officiating pathway, as she was really enjoying volunteering and wanted to develop as a timekeeper.

"Achieving my Level 2 qualification was definitely a big milestone for me, especially as I decided to commit to the officiating pathway to help support athletics in the South West."

The start of Katerina's journey was strongly linked to her wanting to volunteer within her club. She got involved because she was asked directly, and the club supported her through her first few events. We asked her how clubs can help recruit and retain their volunteers.

"Clubs can make a big difference. They can make the officiating role visible within the club, then encourage parents and volunteers to try officiating and explain how important officials are to the sport."

"Making officials feel part of the team, acknowledging their contribution and simply saying thank you goes a long way. I think that including officials in club communications and celebrations also helps."

Katerina wants to progress on her officiating journey over the next few years and to continue supporting her club and region. We wish her all the best in her development!

If you are interested in becoming an official, you can find out more about all the different roles available in the officiating section of our website.