Brooke Kneebush [00:00:08] Hello and welcome to our Coaching and Officiating podcast series. My name is Brooke Kneebush and I'm the Senior Officiating Advisor at the Australian Sports Commission. I'm coming to you from the lands of the Boon Wurrung and Woi Warrung people in Victoria. Along with a special guest each episode, I'm here to talk about some important officiating topics. The theme for today's podcast is How you officiate, a modern approach to officiating. This includes preparing to officiate, decision-making and time management, all with a participant centred approach.
Today I'm joined by Cheryl Jenkins, who is the Australian Open Chief Umpire and Chief Umpire at Tennis Australia. From humble beginnings as a line umpire in the 1990s, her officiating experience has taken her around the globe to some of the world's biggest sporting events. She has officiated at all four Grand Slams, Commonwealth and Olympic Games. In addition, she's an educator with the International Tennis Federation and here in Australia supports the development of tennis officials from community level through to high performance. Thank you for joining us, Cheryl.
Cheryl Jenkins [00:01:15] Thank you Brooke. And I'd like to acknowledge that I'm coming from the lands of the Yugambeh people here in Brisbane.
Brooke Kneebush [00:01:20] Fabulous. Thanks for that. So, Cheryl, can you start by telling us about your journey in sport, how you came to be an international tennis official? Tennis Australia and Australian Open Chief Umpire, and your current involvement from community through to international officiating.
Cheryl Jenkins [00:01:35] Oh my gosh. Well, I came a well come from a bit of a tennis family. So, tennis was that the sport that we all played even though we all did other sports as kids? Tennis was the, the common sport. So even grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. It was definitely the family sport. And so, my dad actually, through his work, started officiating at Milton. And one of the guys there got it, got dad involved. Then I got my turn to be a ball girl, you know, at Milton as well. And then I guess my brothers and as we got older, moved into officiating and there's like, oh, you know, I get to the age of, you know, towards the end of high school, part time job. One more. We're going to tennis courts anyway, so I might as well start officiating to get some extra money, pocket money on the side. I then could see some people that I really admired in officiating. Donna Kelso is one who's a WTA supervisor. We became good friends when I was still ball girl, and we're still friends today, and I admired her because she was a line umpire and I could see her be a chair umpire, started travelling the world. I'm like, oh, that sounds cool. I'd like to do that and watch all the awesome things that she would do. And I guess that was kind of my then role model. When time came to think about family, it was like, oh, I still want to do stuff. So juggled chair umpiring and babies for a little while, and then I was like, okay, I need something else. And so, why I went down the chief umpire pathway. So that's where the management side now of officials comes into it, a more the education side as well. So yeah, just from humble beginnings at Redcliffe to now I get to, to travel the world at times and yeah be off to Wimbledon in a couple of weeks.
Brooke Kneebush [00:03:15] What a great journey and thank you for sharing that and that element of family and doing it with your, your brothers and your dad, that is such a massive part of sport, and it's really fabulous when families get to enjoy this sport together.
Cheryl Jenkins [00:03:29] It is, and it's something I see people who tend to be in it longer have all had some sort of family connection, and it's just not only your personal family, but then you also then create friendships that become like family of people that you progress with. So, I also have a couple of fellow female officials that, we went through our white badge school together, our bronze badge school together, travelling the world together. And yeah, still mates. You know, we don't live in the same place, but, you know, we’re still mates and we still catch up. And yeah, we're actually trying to arrange a catch-up during Wimbledon qualifying now.
Brooke Kneebush [00:04:06] Wow. Friends for life. And amazing that you were able to juggle parenthood, motherhood, alongside all that as well. And actually we’re branching into my next question, really. So, you you've been involved in officiating for over 30 years. You've talked about those friendships and the travel. What are some of the other reasons that you do it? Why do you keep coming back, and what motivates you to be the best that you can be?
Cheryl Jenkins [00:04:30] I think to be honest, it's the people that you come across and meet because I guess officiating, that's what brings us together. But we all come from different walks of life. You know, officiating is our common purpose. But, you know, there's teachers, there's doctors I've met FBI agents. You know, all these crazy people like, you know, crazy as in, like, awesome things that they do. Scientists, you know, really intelligent people. And what do we love to do? We love to be on a tennis court and officiate and at times call a ball in or out.
Brooke Kneebush [00:05:03] Actually, it's interesting you say those people from all those different professions because I wonder which came first, the chicken or the egg, because sometimes the skills of officiating that you develop while you're being educated and learning and practising officiating can really contribute to those other aspects of your life as well.
Cheryl Jenkins [00:05:19] So I think there are lots of skills we can learn in our other life that then translate across well into being a good official, and that could be across all sports to be honest, not just tennis.
Brooke Kneebush [00:05:29] And not just officiating either, could be coaching or could be as a player or athlete.
Cheryl Jenkins [00:05:34] Exactly.
Brooke Kneebush [00:05:35] So again, you've started to touch on, on some of this, but I imagine it can be really quite demanding physically and mentally to, to be an official, whether it's at community level or at that peak international level. What are some of those demands on officials, and can you give us a bit of a, an idea of what goes on when you're officiating at a community event?
Cheryl Jenkins [00:05:59] So for us, when we talk about community level, we call that competitive play in tennis. So that's a local weekend tournament that you'll, you'll see. I think that the physical demands there for officials is, what people may not realise is those officials can be on the ground from eight hours to 12, ten hours to 12 hours to 14 hour days and then back up the next day and do it again. And depending on the number of days of the tournament, you can do it over four days back-to-back. And that's long hours standing outside in the weather. So yes, we may not be running physically on a, on a field like they do in some other sports or on a court, but then on those sports, they just go to do that match and usually leave, whereas we're there for the whole day. So yeah, so that can be quite hard for officials, and you know, think about out there, 30 plus degrees heat here in Brisbane 90% humidity most days, it feels like. So that can be physically quite draining but draining obviously in a different way, so that can be tough for officials.
Brooke Kneebush [00:07:00] I imagine there are times when you need to diffuse potentially volatile situations. What type of I guess skills does an official need and how do they need to engage with the participants before something happens, or if they do need to diffuse a situation like that?
Cheryl Jenkins [00:07:18] I guess it's just understanding what's happened. We, we do have rules in place that, you know, for non-umpired matches of of sets that they can follow as a, as a guide to help them work through a problem. Quite often it can be the kids have lost the score. How do we resolve actually what the score is, or the other one will be. They're deciding whether the ball is actually in or out. And obviously they disagree. So, it's going through the process of how we resolve that. So, there are some, some steps in place to help them work through that. So, it's not so bad. I guess one of the biggest challenges can be at times, very helpful parents who are very passionate about their children, and it's how they manage keeping the parents calm while the kids go out there and enjoy their game. So that can be a tough one, because when you step onto the court, that can be an easy thing to resolve because there's a very clear process of what they need to do. Whereas sometimes the hard stuff can actually happen off court and they need to resolve that.
Brooke Kneebush [00:08:19] And is their opportunity to engage with the stakeholders, whether it be the the players or the spectators or the other organisers of the event, to perhaps set a scene, try and establish a culture where everyone's respectful of each other.
Cheryl Jenkins [00:08:35] They are at the community level, competitive play level. It's very there's a lot of conversations that can just happen organically around the courts. You know, even starts with just saying hello and I guess becomes that familiar face. Oh, there's Brooke again. She said it this week. Oh, this, you know, you know, become that familiarity of seeing someone and then that builds rapport, builds respect. And you move on from just the hello conversation to oh how how's you know Tom playing today. You know, it can just grow organically. And you know and I think that's always nice to see when those, respect grows both ways of you know at that can be community play level.
Brooke Kneebush [00:09:16] And I mentioned that rapport could be really great for the players to have that familiar face. If they've got some nerves, it might be reassuring for them to see someone that they're familiar with.
Cheryl Jenkins [00:09:28] Absolutely. And I guess if they're going through a tough time, it might be someone that they can just go and confide in that's, you know, not Mum or Dad or the coach. It's just someone different. And I think that's, that's important for the kids to know that the officials are there helping to create that safe environment for them, not just on the court, but also off the court as well.
Brooke Kneebush [00:09:47] That's actually a part of the role of officials at that community level, that education element for the participants or for the players, isn't it? Because sometimes they're still learning the rules and they'll come across situations they haven't experienced before.
Cheryl Jenkins [00:10:02] It's very much an education process because you could be at a tournament one week, and you may have people who've been playing tournaments for a year, but you could have someone there on their very first day. So, it is constant education, and I think that's probably a driver of why people keep coming back to it, because, oh, now I get to help someone else. But it's not just the kids, it's also the parents. Because for the parents, this is, for many of them, a whole new world. Like a lot of them don't come from a tennis background. So yes, so there is a lot of education, not just on the rules, but also just etiquette in general.
Brooke Kneebush [00:10:38] For sure. Now, can you tell me a little bit about a routine that an official might have, even at that international level, perhaps there's some things that people at the community level could learn from that.
Cheryl Jenkins [00:10:50] So I know some of our top chair umpires, some of them would like to go to a very quiet corner before the match. And they will go through, I've got my coin, you know, I've got all the tools that they need for their job, which is obviously very relevant also at the community level as well. You also need all your tools to your job, whether that's your coin, you whistle, you tape measure whatever you need. You need to make sure you have that routine. If I go back to myself, one of my things was always, have to go to the toilet for each match because you don't want to get out there for a long match and be like, oh, I should have gone for only in the first set. I'm still here for another couple of sets. That's part of what a chair umpire will do. But some are happy to, to have conversations in the lounge and, and then just go straight to their match. Others that will go and find a quiet corner, gather their thoughts, especially before those big matches and then go and do their job. But, but they are very professional and it's actually quite amazing to watch them. And I guess one thing we also do in Australia, which to my knowledge, we're the only ones who do this, is we also have, a sports psychologist who comes and joins us, and it's actually nice to watch the chair umpires, whether they're Australian or the internationals, all go and take and have a conversation with John whether that's in the, the umpires lounge or they go for a walk and have a coffee. But and I think that's one of the things we like to do for our officials to help with their wellbeing. And looking after them is provide that opportunity. And we also do that for our Australian officials year-round - access to, to a sports psychologist. I think it's just around having someone who's a bit removed from the sport and from the day-to-day runnings of things, just for you to just go have a conversation. Hey, I experienced this. Do you have some other strategies of how I could have handled it that are not necessarily tennis related? But I guess it comes back to those people skills that we were talking about earlier, conflict management. Because conflict management is not just a sport thing that's life. So, it's made some of those life skills that John can help them navigate through.
Brooke Kneebush [00:12:54] What a great resource to have. Let's talk now about decision making, because I think what spectators often don't realise is that officials look like they're just sitting there not doing much. And yet there's a lot going on in their mind and there are so many decisions actually taking place, but there's only a few that actually get called because the official has decided it's not requiring a call. Do you have a routine? I imagine it's become kind of gut instinct by now, but a routine that you sort of follow to make and process decisions?
Cheryl Jenkins [00:13:29] Absolutely a routine. There's a routine that we educate officials, like those who are training to be chair umpires on, on the routine of how you start the point. You know from watching the server at the beginning, watching the feet, checking the ball, so there is very much a routine and within that routine, there's lots of decisions that need to be made. You know, when do you stop watching the server to check track ball at the net, to watch the ball, to then make sure you haven't missed the foot fault if you're the only chair umpire. There's a lot of things that, yeah, like you said, will happen instinctively, the more experienced you have. Decision-making, whether that's, you know, it can be even competitive play. The decision can be for the referee and the supervisors. Do I stand near courts two and three to observe those plays? Or do I need to go to court four and five? So there's a lot of things of just understanding what's the feel for the sport, for the match at that time and that, that goes across all sports, I think. So, it's not just the, the chair umpire on court having to decide, you know, the player is starting to bounce the racket. Is that racket abuse or is it. You know what. Brooke. Can you just keep your racket in your hand? A conversation at the change of ends? Or does it need to be a code violation? So, there will be lots of subtle things. Do we just need to say, hey, Brooke, just hold on to your racket. Or do we need to, you know what? You've gone too far - straight to the code violations. But. And that can also happen as a competitive play. And, the supervisor might go up to the fence and say, hey, Brooke, you might need to keep your racket in your hand. So, anything can happen on the big match as well. So lots of subtle things that will happen that people won't see. And the more experience you have, the more you'll become aware of when to step in and when not to.
Brooke Kneebush [00:15:21] So there's a lot that you have to think about, but even when you are as prepared as you can be, I can imagine whether it's standing there for 10 or 12 hours or eight hours a day, or sitting in the chair in the beating sun, that it could be really easy to become fatigued and perhaps lose concentration even. Have you got some tips on how you maintain the stamina to keep pushing through and stay focused despite all of that?
Cheryl Jenkins [00:15:52] I think if I'm looking at community player level, I think it's just being constantly present around the courts and walking around the courts like don't stay stationary. I think that that's becomes your downfall. Just, you know. And it's that balance of, I think, for our local referees of knowing when to step onto the court and when not to. Which is a bit of a balancing act. At the high level, one little trick I used to have in my court bag, little mints. So sometimes you need that little sugar, little fix. I think it's about people identifying for themselves. What is it I need to do for me to help me get through my day? Is it? Do I need to drink more water? Do I need to maybe have a sports drink? Because, I feel I’m losing, I’m sweating a lot. I need to replenish some, some salts in my body. Also, as a chair umpire at the change of ends, you'll get the moment after everything thing’s calmed down. You may get 20s or so. Wiggle your toes in your shoes. Stretch, you know, give you feel a little, you know, think about sitting in an aeroplane, which we quite often do. You know how they teach you to do your little foot exercises to stretch around? You can do those little things, you know, stretch your shoulders, turn. So, there's subtle little things you do. Obviously, you can't get out of the chair and do, you know, ten star jumps. But there’s little movements you can do in the chair to, to keep you alert.
Brooke Kneebush [00:17:14] Great, great advice. Thank you. Now we were talking about line umpires, and it occurred to me that technology is increasingly becoming a part of tennis. Can, can you tell me a little bit about the different technologies that have been introduced over your time in tennis?
Cheryl Jenkins [00:17:31] In my time, we've had the old Cyclops, which was a beam that just went across only the service line, but obviously the biggest one that most people at the professional level will identify with is the live ELC, so electronic line calling. Which is obviously now when it's a live version, replaces line umpires. But there's also still the version with, the challenge system when we still have line umpires on court. At the community level, we have equipped many of our referees with body cameras, and this is a camera that hangs around the neck and it's there that, you know, if a dispute were to get, you know, significantly enraged. And right then it comes down to the vision. Not just what the referee said, not just what say a parent said. Because quite often, it's usually the more emotional conversations tend to be happening off the court. And it's to help deter those conversations and just calm people down. But it also means that if that situation gets escalated to the tribunal, we now have video footage to be able to decipher exactly what happened. It's actually been quite a positive thing because it's actually really helped to calm down many situations that perhaps in the past would have escalated.
Brooke Kneebush [00:18:53] And ultimately, it's about the players.
Now let's have a think about reflection. So, you mentioned that your officials do have access at times to a psychologist, but often and particularly at the community level, we need to manage our wellbeing ourselves, but also our professional development, our personal growth and reflection’s a really powerful way for officials to prioritise themselves in that way. How do you reflect yourself on your officiating and what benefit have you seen it to be over your career?
Cheryl Jenkins [00:19:27] I'm a bit of an old school girl. I'm a paper and pen diary girl. So I even during the Australian Open. I'm always walking around with a notebook and pen and just jotting down things because I find if I get to the end of the day, I'll be like, oh, what was that I meant to write down? So, I'm very much writing things down. And that's not just for my own self-reflection. It's also things that I think about. Oh, that worked well today. We need to remember that for next time or, or something's happened during the day. Oh, I hadn't thought of that. How do we improve that for the following day? Or is it something that we need to note down for the report at the end? This happened. We need to problem solve a solution for next year. So yeah, I'm very much - write things down and it's probably something I do encourage officials to do. Obviously, the younger generation, maybe it's writing it down direct onto their phones or onto their computers, and that's okay. I think whatever's going to work for you, I do think it's important to write things down, whether that's electronically or handwriting. And you go back and reflect on it and go. And I think one thing I like to say to be, yes, you make a decision. Walk away afterwards and go - did that work out well, or what could I have done better next time? I think it's about people asking themselves, what could I have done differently? And maybe sometimes there is nothing you could do differently and that's actually okay. But if there is a learning opportunity in there, take that opportunity and maybe go speak to someone else. Hey Phil, this happened on this day. This was my decision. Is there anything different I could have done? I think I do say to people that the dumb question is the one you don't ask. And I really think that's because sometimes people are afraid to ask a question, which I think’s sad. I think just ask it. You may not always like the answer you get, because it may differ from what you had hoped you would hear. But I think it's really important to ask questions because that will really help with your learning.
Brooke Kneebush [00:21:30] And I love the way you talked also about reflecting on the things that did go well, because sometimes we can always revert to the things that didn't go so well and really beat ourselves up over it. But actually, we probably did a whole lot of really great things as well.
Cheryl Jenkins [00:21:44] Yeah, I think sometimes, you know, you beat yourself up over that one decision that maybe yes, it did escalate, but then you've already made four other that were awesome or, you know, whatever it may be, maybe you've made 20 decisions prior that were fantastic. So yes, take the learnings from that one and then apply it to the rest, and then you'll do just fine.
Brooke Kneebush [00:22:06] Great. Now finally, while officiating can be challenging at times, it's also really rewarding and, that that's really why we do it. Is there one really rewarding experience that you've had as an official that you wanted to share with our audience?
Cheryl Jenkins [00:22:23] You know, I get little buzzes out of watching, especially the new officials come through, and then they achieve their goals, and they get really excited. I guess that's probably where I'm at now, is watching now the next generation come through and helping them and, and even going off to China a few years ago and, and helping someone the first year be an assistant. And then the next year she got to the school and progress. So yeah. So, the idea was always to go get her to be a chief umpire. So it was nice watching that, taking her from, from her P, from her L plates to her P plates to Open plates. You know, I guess that's probably the way to put it. So that's always nice when you get to have those moments. Listen, I'm quite fortunate in my officiating journey that there's been lots of nice moments along the way. And. I'm pretty lucky.
Brooke Kneebush [00:23:13] Great. And I can see and hear in your voice how passionate you are, and also appreciative of the opportunities that you've had through officiating. So, thank you for sharing your time with us, Cheryl, and for your insights into the theme of How you officiate, a modern approach to officiating. And thank you to our audience for listening.
Brooke Kneebush [00:23:34]To learn more about community officiating, head to the Australian Sports Commission's officiating web page. I'm Brooke Kneebush and I look forward to you joining me for the next podcast in the Coaching and Officiating series.
Brooke Kneebush [00:23:53] This podcast was produced on the lands of the Ngunnawal people by the Australian Sports Commission. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, and recognise the outstanding contribution that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make to society and to sport in Australia.