Young official Freya Webb talks about her officiating journey
Freya Webb is a club athlete turned official, and having qualified in a number of disciplines is now a Level 3 field judge. In February this year Freya officiated at the UKA National Indoor Championships in Birmingham for her first national selection event. As is common for a first appointment, Freya was an athlete steward.
"My main role was helping hundreds of athletes get from warm up all the way to the track (which takes longer than you think) and shared a lift with some famous faces in athletics, including some of my heroes from when I was still competing."
It was a great introduction to the big move up to a major meeting for an official. Freya had the opportunity to meet top level officials and make new friends.
"Being appointed was such an honour. It represented all my hard work and the support of others who have helped me get to where I am over the past four years. It was great to be able to speak to some top class officials. It was also really exciting being around the athletes and being part of their experience, which was really special."
We asked Freya what she found the most different at the national event compared with grassroots events.
"With grassroots, if an event starts late or runs late, or an athlete is late to an event for any reason, we tend to be quite flexible - as for some athletes, they are quite young and still understanding the competition world."
"Being at the Indoor Championships, there was no room for flexibility, you’ve got paying spectators and TV scheduling that prevents any delays and if athletes are late, they can’t compete. Time management is crucial."
Freya’s journey started at her local athletics club - Solihull & Small Heath AC – predominantly as a long and triple jumper. Her dad came to all her competitions and he became a timekeeper to help the club out.
"I saw how much dad enjoyed officiating and when I decided competing was no longer for me, I qualified as a field judge. With my background and the variety of events I thought it would make it an exciting role to take on."
Last autumn, Freya wanted to try something new and gain a better understanding of the sport from a multitude of angles. So she qualified as a Level 1 timekeeper, starter, starter’s assistant and photofinish judge and has already enjoyed exploring these new roles. Hopefully extending her knowledge and skills will set Freya up for achieving her future plans as an official:
"I'm excited to see where in the world athletics may take me. I would love to be selected for more national championships, then for an international event - whether that be Europeans, Worlds or the Commonwealth or Olympic Games. That would be a dream come true."
For Freya, the greatest challenge has been fighting the stigma around young officials.
"A lot of people see a young official and assume that we are inexperienced and not as qualified as older officials. That’s often not the case. It can be hard to when your ability is doubted just because you are young even though you have over ten years' worth of officiating under your belt."
Freya wants to change that and encourage more to move up the officiating levels. Her advice to Level 1 or 2 officials is relevant for all ages though.
- Get advice and support from officials who know you well.
- Ask if you can shadow someone or share a role with more responsibility (e.g. a referee) to help you feel confident before trying it on your own.
- Even if you are taking on a new role solo, you’re never truly alone, your fellow officials are there to help and support you not judge you.
- Trust your gut. You know you better than anyone - it might not be the right time for you or maybe you realise you’re happy at the level you are and that is ok. It’s your journey.
However, Freya knows where she wants her officiating journey to take her:
"I would love to be selected for more national championships, then for an international event - whether that be Europeans, Worlds or the Commonwealth or Olympic Games. That would be a dream come true."