First few days in Abu Dhabi ...

I have been in UAE a little over a week now and it still feels like a whirlwind as I am getting used to what my life will be like for the next 9 months. 

I arrived late on Friday evening and was greeted at the airport by Eslam who works for the Abu Dhabi Ice Sports Club.  He was very friendly and has been helping me with all the necessary requirements since I arrived.

Living and working in the UAE

There are a number of requirements for living and working in UAE and procedures, which need to be followed.  On arrival at the airport I picked up my work visa.  From this moment on I have spent the last week or so attending different meetings and offices to pick-up the necessary documents to be able to work here.

This has involved having a medical check with blood tests and a chest x-ray to ensure I am not carrying any diseases and I am medically fit to work in the UAE.  After undertaking the medical check I was issued with a Medical Insurance ID card.

Following this I was taken to apply for a UAE ID card.  To be issued with this I needed to provide my work visa and then my fingerprints and handprints were taken. 

I am waiting for my ID card to be issued and this should happen in the next few days.  Once this is issued I will be able to open a bank account to ensure I can be paid for my job here.  I will then also be able to use the ID card to purchase and set-up a local mobile phone here.

Alongside obtaining my UAE ID card, I also had to transfer my British Driving License to a UAE driving license.  To do this I had to get the license translated into Arabic and then I had to take this to the Driving Centre for verification.

It feels like a lot of steps to go through before everything is set-up and so I am glad to have Eslam helping me with each step along the way.   In a few weeks I should have everything set-up which will be a good feeling and enable me to focus on the job at hand.

Everything is the same but different …

On my first day here I attended a meeting with the junior coaches to talk about the up-coming season and in particular the growth of junior hockey here in the UAE.  It was reassuring to be involved in a meeting that focussed on the same topics of discussion that hockey meetings around the world focus on, albeit in slightly different surroundings and with slightly different challenges.

Top quality facilities

I was also shown my new office, which is in the Abu Dhabi ice rink.  It again was reassuring to be in an ice rink.  Being so far from home without friends and family it is nice to be in a familiar setting.

Ice rinks around the world are all slightly different however they all offer to me a sense of belonging.  I may not know what I am doing or where I am but if there is an ice rink and I can get on the ice it seems to make everything feel better because out on the ice I know what my job is and what I am doing.  The ice rinks in UAE are no different in this regard.  As soon as I walked into the rink I felt at home. 

The facilities here are good and I was shown one of the players dressing rooms which looked to have more facilities than some of the ice rink changing rooms back in England.

I quickly felt at home and set about exploring the gym and other facilities that will be key to my time here.  The gym again provides the best facilities available and it is another place where I was able to feel more at home.

Officiating community

Prior to coming out here I had a few email exchanges with a number of officials and several of them have been incredibly open and welcoming to me.  I had lunch with one in particular (Norm) who is my number 1 fan here and in a lot of ways reminds me of my Dad.  I have turned to Norm for some advice on a number of questions I had about the structure and set-up here and he has been happy to give me not only his knowledge and experience but also his time.

Back home I am used to being a part of a referee community that extends far beyond just turning up and refereeing games together.  Now I am here I am starting to feel that the referee community here will be no different and I will have a talented and dedicated team of officials around me.

Norm has been in contact with me daily and has talked me through how he understands everything to work here.  His open-ness, frankness and advice has been very welcome and I am so glad to have him to turn to.  I wish my Dad were still around to meet him, as I am sure they would have been good friends.

Running the Game Officials Clinic

The weekend in UAE is on a Friday and a Saturday and my first weekend here was the Pre-Season Game Officials clinic, which I had been organising from back in the UK.

This was a two-day intensive clinic, which covered sessions on IIHF Rule Emphasis including the new rules for 2014-15 season.  It also included practical on-ice sessions and video analysis.  In addition there were focussed session on positioning for referees and linesman.  I had put together a pretty comprehensive programme and spent a lot of time preparing the two days.  I even taped a rink on the floor of the office to use for positioning sessions and to help make the 2 days interactive.

There was a great attendance for the clinic with 17 officials attending.  We drafted together a new Code of Conduct for Game Officials and I hope all of the game officials left with a positive attitude and a strong sense that they are part of a strong officiating team this year. 

We have planned to meet up again mid-season at the end of November for more video analysis and a review of how the league is working.

On arriving in the UAE I realised that the game officials did not have a Pre-Season clinic last year and so asking them to attend a 2 day clinic this year was almost the complete opposite.  However they all attended and were positive about the year ahead.  I feel like I have a good opportunity to lead them forwards as a team.

It really motivates me to see the group and appreciate that I could make a real impact and a difference here not just for the officiating but also for the growth of the sport.

Working the games

Before the start of the season there have been a few challenge games so teams can start to get used to playing together and get their lines set-up.  I have officiated three games so far, all of which have had a good pace to them and I am sure as the season progresses the standard will get higher and higher.  They play a non-checking game in the league and 3x15 minute periods but other than these nuances the standard IIHF rules apply.

The pre-season games have also been a great opportunity to use a new local linesman to give him experience and get him ready for the league games.  It was great to see how the other officials shared their experience with him before the game and then helped him develop throughout the game.  I am looking forward to seeing how he grows in confidence and experience as the season progresses.

Getting ready for the start of the league

To be ready for the start of the season on 22 September I have been putting in place a number of procedures to ensure the league gets off to a good start.  I have drafted up the Disciplinary Procedures and Rules for the league and this has been discussed with the management of the league.

I have also been working with the game officials on updating themselves on the new IIHF rules through the on-line system I set-up for them all to use. 

In addition I have been preparing for a presentation that I will be giving to all of the coaches and team managers prior to the start of the season.

It has been a busy few weeks getting everything set-up and ready to go for the start of the year.

Ice or sand?

A few people have asked me what the beach is like and if I have a nice tan!  As you can probably guess from my description above, I have been really busy setting up my life here at the same time as pulling together the officiating programme, so in reality I haven’t even been to the beach yet.

However this is no bad thing because the weather right now is far too hot to be out on the beach.  It is 40degrees plus each day and so it is only possible to be outside for a short time before needing to go into an air-conditioned room! 

So my tan and my relaxation on the beach has taken a back seat for my first week or so here.  I am sure I will get to relax a bit this coming weekend in preparation for the start of the season next week!

Insha'Allah

Whilst there are a number of things that are still a bit foreign and confusing for me at the moment, I am lucky to have the support of the referees here in the UAE. 

In addition, for the first time in a very long time I can see that I can make a difference and have an impact in my job and this is hugely motivating.

One thing I have learned so far is the expression “insha’Allah”.  This is Arabic for “God willing" or "if Allah wills”.  It is often the answer to a question here.

For me I think it really resonates particularly when I think about the difference I can make and the impact I can have on the officiating programme in the UAE.  As with everything I seem to get involved with, I can see the opportunities but the challenge will be for me to make the right judgement on what I can do and what I just need to let be. 

So in answer to the question:

Will I be able to make a difference to the officiating in the UAE? 

Insha’Allah.