Getting settled in my life in the UAE

A big part of feeling like finally I live here and am not just on an extended holiday is that firstly everything I needed in terms of admin has happened now, and secondly I have started to learn more about the culture here.

ID Cards, Admin and Bank Account

To be able to work in the UAE I needed to have a work visa.  Once I got this I needed to get medical clearance and then a health card.  Once I got this I was able to get a residents card.  Once I had the resident’s card I was able to get a local mobile number and once I had this mobile number I was able to set-up a bank account.  I was also then able to get my UK diving license translated and then get an Arabic driving license.  Everything has an order and a process to go through and anyone that has worked here or who is an expat here has had to go through the same process and so is very supportive because they know and remember just how frustrating it can feel to not have everything you need on day one!

Finally when I had everything I felt a great sense of achievement, which is silly really, because I hadn’t done anything other than fill in some forms, jump through some hoops and complete the various processes.  But it still felt like a huge achievement and like I had passed the test of being able to stay here and call it home for the next 9 months.

What is incredible and yet slightly scary at the same time is the information and data that is now held on me by the country.  To obtain my residents card I had to provide my fingerprints and handprints and this is now stored and linked to everything I do while I am here.  My fingerprint is linked to my bank account, as is my residents’ card and my mobile phone.  I can go into a bank and pay money in or take money out just using my fingerprint, or if I have forgotten my bankcard I can also use my residents card in an ATM.  Even more fun is that every time a deposit or a withdrawal is made out of my bank account I am sent a text message to tell me and it confirms what my new balance is.  For someone who likes to shop as much as I do this can get a little annoying and most of the time I think I am better off not knowing what my balance is!  Although I should just be grateful that Scott is not here because if it is a joint bank account then he also would get the text messages and be able to keep tabs not only on what I am spending but also where I am spending it!

Eid

Eid on the beach

I have now also experienced my first religious holiday in the UAE.  Eid happened at the beginning of October and meant there were a few days holiday from work and a chance for me to relax and enjoy what the country has to offer by way of beaches.

Emirati Culture

I decided that it would be important for me to understand more about the culture and the religion of the country I am living in.  Partly because I thought it would help me to do my job given I am working for a local company but also because I am a guest in this country and so learning more about it is something that is important to me. 

Eid on the beach in Dubai

One of the officials based in Dubai, Phylippe, and his wife Heidi, have been really kind to me and rather than see me drive home after a late game in Dubai they offered for me to stay at their house whenever I needed to.  So I took them up on their kind offer after the first Dubai game and now they are stuck with me every game!  The morning after the game when I first stayed with them they took me to Jumeriah Mosque for a tour that also involved a cultural talk and a chance to ask questions about the culture and faith here in the UAE.

The tour of the mosque was great and it was nice to see the inside of the mosque but what I found really valuable and interesting was the talk given by our guide. 

Our guide was a British lady who had met her husband (an Emirati) in London, moved back to the UAE with him and converted to Islam.  I found this hugely fascinating in itself because I was listening to a lady who had grown up in the same place as me but now had a very different life not just in the sense of where she lived but also in the way she was choosing to live it.  She was wearing a Hijab and spoke so passionately about her faith and her children and their perspective on the world.  She spoke about the outfits they wear and the very practical reasons behind covering up in the sun and protecting their eyes from sandstorms.  She was very open and shared so much with the group. 

Jumeriah Mosque

We were invited to watch one of the locals run through the movements of a prayer and also hear her stories of how much the UAE has changed since she had first moved back.  She spoke about there not being any buildings on the road where the mosque was and also how the roads were not real roads and they didn’t have traffic lights.  She explained that actually the country has developed so quickly that she has seen huge changes and actually watched as the locals have had to adapt and keep up with the infrastructure and technology and consumer world that has arrived with a bang into the country.

Being from a western country generally when you hear the word Islam it is generally on the news in a negative context and associated with some new terror organisation.  It was nice to hear what Islam is all about and the beliefs behind the religion.  I learnt there are five pillars of Islam:

1. Shahadah: declaring there is no god except God, and Muhammad is God's Messenger
2. Salat: ritual prayer five times a day
3. Zakat: giving 2.5% of one’s savings to the poor and needy
4. Sawm: fasting and self-control during the holy month of Ramadan
5. Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime if one is able

I also learnt a great deal about how the faith views women.  I had noticed that everywhere I went there were ladies only provisions.  There are ladies only beaches, ladies only lines in shops and ladies only taxis.  In-fact there is also a ladies only day at the ice rink which means none of the male hockey coaches can come into the office which is based in the ice rink in Abu Dhabi.  Many people who hear about this or don’t take the time to understand the culture wrongly assume that this is because they see women as not important or second-class citizens.  The reality is the complete opposite.  I learnt that actually everything that is set-up for ladies only is done so to make women feel safe and protected and to give them an environment where they do not feel exposed to men.  Everything that is done for women is done out of respect for them.  Many Emiratis will not shake a woman’s hand because it is a sign of disrespect and this is something I have had to get used to on the ice as an official after the games when players come to shake the officials hands but can’t shake my hand because of their belief.

I was really grateful to Phylippe and Heidi for suggesting to me to go on the tour and for taking me along to learn more about the culture I am living in.  It was a great experience and one I would recommend to anyone visiting the UAE if they really want to get an understanding of the country.

A little bit of home in my office

My office wall

The office is located in the Abu Dhabi ice rink, which is great because it means all of my days are spent in the ice rink.  Ice rinks all around the world tend to feel like home but I decided to make my office space feel a bit more like home by putting up some pictures that remind me of home and of how far I have come from the young girl who started refereeing games at Romford ice rink with her dad.  Sometimes when I am wondering if I will achieve anything here I look up at the pictures to remind myself anything is possible if you just have the faith to believe in yourself and the courage to try!

The league gets started ...

It seems like a long time since I have had a chance to sit down and write about everything that has been happening. 

I find myself almost 2 months into my 9 months in the UAE and finally everything is starting to feel more settled and familiar.  I am also staring to feel like I actually live here rather than I am just on an extended holiday!

League gets off to a good start!

Me with Norm and Joe for the first game of the EHL 2014

The league got off to a good start and we are now 15 games into the season.  It was great fun to work the first game of the league with two of my team – Norm and Joe.  Both have been really supportive of everything I have been implementing and they have a great sense of humour too so when I am getting too focussed or serious they bring me back to earth with a bump (as all my good friends have learnt to do over the years)!

Norm has continued to be a huge support to me and every-time I find myself needing to bounce some ideas around he is already there and one step ahead of me by asking the questions I have in my mind.  As I have gotten to know him and his wife Susan better it is clear that they are very open, generous and supportive people and provide stability and a place of comfort to a number of people who have moved to the UAE.  Without Norm here I would most definitely be struggling to settle in and so I feel very lucky to have met him and to have the chance to work with him.

The EHL is quite a difficult league to describe.  Each team has a real mix of talented players alongside some less experienced players and so whilst some of the games can be fast and challenging, others are less so.  Of the six teams, four of them are expat teams and then two of the teams are made up of locals and Emiratis with a couple of imports, but predominantly together they make up the UAE national team players.

In reality any team can win the league because of the unpredictable nature of the games and it all depends how well the teams will play on any given night.  It makes for an exciting league but also quite a challenge for assigning officials to games because you never know which games will be close and need a strong experienced crew, or which games will be less testing for the officials. 

The hockey infrastructure

I am starting to appreciate the job that the EIHA and IHUK have done over the years by putting in place a strong infrastructure for the development of officials.  It is quite easy to sit in London in my flat and criticise the EIHA for not doing something … but I never took the time to sit and appreciate everything they had already done or achieved.  By finding myself in a less developed programme I have come to appreciate what I didn’t even see before!

I have now set-up a supervision system for game officials.  My objective is to referee about 60% of the games in the EHL and for the other 40% or games to watch the other officials and provide them with detailed supervision so as a team we can grow and develop.  I looked at the IIHF supervision forms and programme, the EIHA forms and programme and the USA Hockey forms and programmes and brought together elements of each to create a programme that is fit for purpose and at the right level for the officials here in the UAE.  Whilst I am used to being supervised regularly, for many officials here what I have set-up has been new to them and so it has been a learning curve for me and for them on how this works and can be used as a tool to benefit us as a team.  I’ve enjoyed watching them work games and I also think from the discussions after the games that the officials are enjoying the fact that someone is watching them and focussing on what they are doing and how they can do it better.

Whilst I am here for the development of the officiating programme I have come to appreciate that this can only happen alongside a number of other areas.  I have started to regularly communicate with the coaches on behalf of the officiating team to ensure they are aware of areas of focus from a rule perspective but also anything that is not working for the league.  Alongside this I have come to realise that some of the off-ice officials have just taken on their roles without any training or guidance and whilst they are doing a great job, they too could benefit from some training specifically for off-ice officials.  Finally after setting up the Disciplinary Rules and Procedures for the league I have now started to use them and this too is another element that fits in with the officiating and I took for granted back home.  Back home I would do my job on the ice, enforce the rules, write-up match reports and send them off to discipline.  Here I am doing that and then coordinating the Disciplinary Committee, the communication to the teams and the logging of penalty statistics.

Whilst I am enjoying the chance to implement new systems and procedures and to help the league grow here, I now appreciate a lot more what is set-up back home.  I’ve asked for advice and help from Mike Hicks, Mohamed Ashraff and Allan Batchelder and all of them have been supporting me and sending me documents and advice to help me in setting everything up here.  I’ve also been using my international contacts in USA hockey because I noticed that a lot of the players come from North America where the rules are slightly different to IIHF.  With this in mind I sourced the rules cheat sheet which highlights the major differences and which a lot of the USA hockey officials use to help them switch to IIHF rules when they go to international tournaments.

So whilst many of you back home think I am just reffing a few games and lying on the beach in-between, I want to reassure you that yes that is happening but at the same time I am setting up lots of procedures to help the league grow, develop and operate. 

I often find myself up late after a game, writing a supervision report for one of the officials, or reviewing the game video to find clips for educational purposes, or writing up an incident report and setting up the video clip and procedure for disciplinary review.  There is always something to do and always more that could be done … and as most of you know I enjoy the never-ending challenges and tasks!

The officiating team

I am finding myself spending a lot of time on developing, educating and working with my team of officials.  I have an on-line portal, which not only helps me with assignments but also allows me to upload video clips and documents for them to all review.  Alongside that I have implemented a weekly fun rules quiz to help with rule knowledge (yes I did just put rules and fun in the same sentence).  I know at times I have been bombarding the guys with information – but they are a good bunch and all of them are being kind and humouring me … I think some of them are actually enjoying the rules fun quiz too!

I have planned a mid-season video analysis clinic where as a team we will come back together and review some clips from the season so far to help us all develop as officials for the league.  The mid-season video analysis clinic is in November, which is turning out to be a busy month as I will also be in Japan refereeing the Women’s World Championship Qualification Round for the IIHF and in Doha to help with the running of a Referee Clinic also for the IIHF!

The officiating team is really coming together and supporting each other which is great to see and the more I spend time with them all the more I realise that quite often the strongest teams involved in ice hockey are the officiating teams.  They go for many months without seeing each other or without all being together but they still manage to have a sense of belonging and a sense of team spirit.  I guess that is why I love being an official and I am always proud wherever I am in the world to pull on the stripes!

Potential of hockey in the UAE

I am actually finding it difficult not to get caught up in the vision of what hockey is and has the potential to be in the UAE. 

Dubai Mall ice rink

I often have to catch myself to remind myself where I am and how amazing it is that we have the quality we have and the amount of hockey we do in this country!  Quite often it is when I am sitting in the ice rink in the Dubai Mall (which is the largest shopping mall in the world).  Shops and extravagance and nice hotels surround me.  Outside it is 35degree plus heat … and yet I am part of an ice hockey programme that is leading the way within its region.

 

Atlantis Hotel on the Palm

I have scheduled catch-up calls with the IIHF each month to talk about how everything is working here.  From the IIHF perspective they see the hockey development in the UAE as a strong programme in the Asia region and one that is gaining momentum at a fast pace.  They are supportive of the set-up here and they also have set me challenges for what needs to be achieved from an officiating perspective.  One of the challenges is for me to find a local who can be the Referee Chief for the country.

It still amazing me that there are so many locals and Emiratis who are playing the game here.  In a country where ice is not the first thing that comes to mind there is a passion here for hockey that is addictive and infectious.  In fact it is quite humbling to witness the passion that the locals have for hockey – sometimes back home we forget what the game is about.  Back home there is so much surrounding hockey that gets in the way of what the game is all about – money, sponsors and ownership.  Here, every now and then, there is a glimpse of what hockey is about – the team spirit, the sense of belonging, the excitement of winning and the thrill of playing the fastest sport in the world.  To watch the locals play the game in front of their friends who are cheering them on with the same excitement of fans in the NHL is quite a surreal and yet emotional experience.

When I sit and watch what they have already created here through sheer passion for and love of the game, I feel privileged to be invited here to help. 

The EHL may be a mix of locals and expats but really I have come to see the real value of it is in promoting and growing the game of ice hockey here in the UAE … and that must never be forgotten in everything that is done in the league.

Super-cup day

It would be remiss of me not to mention Super-cup day!  Super-cup day was an idea of one of the locals that there should be one day that is a festival of hockey and celebrates all of the teams who won their respective leagues last season.

Media briefing for Supercup

This year was the first year it happened and it truly was a festival of hockey.  There were seven games throughout the day which involved the champions of each age group playing each other for the ‘Super-cup’: U9s, U12s, U15s, U18s, Local men’s league, ladies and EHL.  It was a long day of hockey that started at 8am and finished at 10pm that evening and the rink was buzzing all day with excited children and parents.  In the week leading up to the Super-cup day I was invited to attend a media briefing for one of the local TV stations alongside the mastermind behind the event and one of the officials who is a member of the EHL Management Board.  They both spoke in Arabic about the event and then asked me questions regarding the officiating and translated the answers.  It was a privilege to be invited to the media briefings and I even found my picture in one of the local papers which was quite fun … even if I could not understand what was written!

Local newspaper feature on the Supercup

There are junior teams here in UAE but the programme is not big and so they train throughout the year but there is no league for them to play in.  Their only games to play are during tournaments and so the super-cup day provided an extra opportunity for game experience for everyone.

Clearly alongside the EHL I am also responsible for assigning officials for junior tournaments and this has been a useful way of developing the new local officials alongside giving some of the more experienced officials slower games where they are able to practice some of the positioning that I have been giving them feedback about in the EHL games.

Supercup Trophy

We had a lot of officials working games throughout the day and it was a great team spirit as one crew finished their games and came back to the locker room to pass over the baton to the next crew of officials.  It reminded me of when I first started lining and I spent weekends officiating junior tournaments in Nottingham and other places with my Dad – learning the ropes of being a good official and enjoying the banter and friendship of other officials.

The super-cup day was a huge success and great fun to be a part of … I am looking forward to seeing it become an institution for hockey in the UAE.

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.

The road to Abu Dhabi ...

In August 2014 I quit my job in London to take up the role of Referee Chief for the Abu Dhabi Ice Sports Club. 

For the 2014/15 ice hockey season (September 2014 until June 2015), I will be living in Abu Dhabi and working as the Referee Chief for the Abu Dhabi Ice Sports Club. 

Today (5 September 2014) I am leaving the UK and heading to the UAE on my own with my referee kit, as many clothes and shoes as the airline would let me bring and a bag full of sun cream!

Am I crazy?

This is a question I have asked myself a lot over the last few months and daily since I made the decision to leave my job, friends and family in London in pursuit of ice hockey in the desert.  It is also a question that I can see in the eyes of many people who I tell what I am about to do.  I guess the answer is ‘maybe a little bit’, but aren’t we all a little bit crazy sometimes?  How do I explain and rationalise my craziness …

Post-Olympic blues

On 20 February 2014 I had the honour of refereeing the Gold Medal Olympic Final in Sochi between Canada and USA. 

This was the pinnacle of my officiating career so far and what I had been focussed and determined to achieve for a very long time.  It was my third Olympic Games and came following an emotional roller-coaster couple of years where I had to deal with the grief of losing my Dad, who was my inspiration and support and above all else my biggest fan.  There were times when I was close to quitting refereeing altogether.  Emotionally I was broken.  I hit rock bottom and wasn’t sure what my life was about during the first few months after losing him.

Somehow I managed to find the will to dream again and I dreamt about making my third Olympics and getting that Gold Medal Final.  My family and friends provided the support and encouragement I needed to make that dream come true and I found in myself the self-belief that I had been lacking for so many years.

The hard work, dedication and focus are difficult to describe but on the day I found out I was selected to go to Sochi I knew it had all been worth it.  The 2014 Sochi Olympic Games was a fantastic experience and I enjoyed every minute of it.  Being selected as the referee for the gold medal game was a dream come true and more emotional than I ever expected or could have been prepared for.  The adrenaline buzz and the experience was further fuelled by the game being the greatest game of women’s international ice hockey in the history of the Olympics so far.  So what happens after the buzz, after the Olympics and when I returned back to normal life in London?

For me post-Olympic blues hit very hard.  For years my focus and energy had been directed towards achieving a goal.  I had achieved the goal and it was an amazing high.  So what next?

Three days after refereeing the gold medal final I found myself back in London at my desk in my day job responding to emails and filling in an excel spread-sheet.  My life seemed boring and a little pointless. 

I felt so alive refereeing at the Olympics in Sochi, where every day was a challenge and an adventure.  Back home my job (which I had loved and was passionate about before I went to the Olympics) now seemed mundane and dull.  Nothing seemed to be working.  I was trying to get up at 5:30am to train in the gym like I had done for several years in the run up to Sochi but again I couldn’t find the motivation to do this.  When most of the world is asleep and you are sitting on a tube train on the way to the gym you often ask yourself – ‘what am I doing?’  Before Sochi I always answered myself with ‘You are going to the gym to train because just maybe it will help you live your dream’.  But after the Olympics I found myself sitting there without an answer.  I needed a new goal and a new dream.  But how do you set a new goal or a new dream that will be as significant as the last one when the last one was so epic?  It is quite easy to see how and why so many sports stars need emotional and psychological support when they retire from their careers given the huge void it must leave in their life.

Many of my friends and family were also asking me ‘Are you going to try for Pyeongchang 2018?’  It is really tough to know the answer to this question within days, weeks or months of returning from an Olympics.  Getting selected to referee at an Olympics doesn’t just happen.  It takes a lot of hard work and focus and so really the question is do I have the drive and passion in me to keep going?  Do I want to spend the next four years of my life training hard, eating right and at times missing out on life (birthdays, weddings, christenings, starting a family of my own) and making sacrifices to ensure I have done everything humanly possible to be the best I can be just so I can be selected?  I guess for me the question became ‘what is my life if I don’t have hockey in it, and would I be missing out on life if I didn’t try for Pyeongchang?’

It was clear that mentally and emotionally I was spiralling downwards and the lack of focus and goal was difficult for me to comprehend.  I decided to reach out for some help in the form of a sport psychologist who asked me the questions I knew I should be asking myself.  I also spoke to Ice Hockey UK who opened a dialogue with the International Ice Hockey Federation on my behalf.  Being an international ice hockey referee is a career and like any other career you can get advice about the next step – do I stay on the ice or do I call it a day and end my international officiating career?  How do I keep the fire and passion in my belly to keep refereeing and enjoying it?  Will I ever be excited about refereeing a game even if it is not the Olympic final?

How did I get the job?

I was plodding on with life after the Olympics and trying to muddle my way through my options when the Officiating Manager for the International Ice Hockey Federation called me to talk to me about my officiating career and potential options.  KK (as he is affectionately known by officials around the world) has been a presence in my international officiating career since my first international tournament in 2003.  He had spoken with Andy French at Ice Hockey UK and as a result he thought it would be helpful if he had a conversation with me about my officiating future.

KK talked to me about staying on the ice for another season and the potential new challenges that may bring for me.  At the age of 31 I did feel too young to retire but at the same time after 3 Olympics I was starting to wonder what happens when I do decide to step off the ice - how would I know what my life was about without ice hockey in it?  KK talked to me about the options of becoming an international referee instructor and/or supervisor in the future.  After the discussion I felt a strong sense of purpose and resolve. I decided it was ok to take each year as it comes and stay refereeing for as long as I still had a passion for it.  I think I just needed to hear from someone that I didn’t need to retire from my international career if I didn’t want to.

Whilst I had decided to stay officiating for the next season, KK offered me the opportunity to get a flavour of what being a supervisor is like because he felt that it might help me decide about my long-term future.  The International Ice Hockey Federation was running a Hockey Development Camp for Women in Vierumaki, Finland in July.  So I took him up on this opportunity and jetted to Finland for a week in July to assist in the supervising and instructing of the new female officials on the camp.

I was familiar with the IIHF Hockey Development Camp for Women because I had myself attended the inaugural camp for women in 2003.  Eleven years later I had officiated at the Gold Medal final thus proving that the development camps and programmes run by the IIHF really do work - I am clearly a product of them! 

  

The camp brought together 22 female officials from across the world, all of them new to the international programme and eager to learn how they could progress on the international stage.  As I stood at the front of the classroom to introduce myself I could see the passion and drive in their eyes and for the first time since the Olympics I felt alive again.  I felt slightly afraid that I wasn’t going to be a good enough instructor for them … but as the week progressed this fear in me subsided.  The group of officials became a strong team and I could see in them the feelings I had and the emotions I went through.  It was this empathy that helped me be the instructor they needed me to be that week.

At the camp I was lucky enough to be supporting and working with two referee instructors from the IIHF Officiating Committee.  Matt Leaf, Director of Officiating for USA Hockey and Kim Pedersen, General Manager for Danish Ice Hockey.  Both have been a fantastic support to me in my officiating career and were more than happy to throw me in at the deep end by letting me run sessions on my own for the women.  I had thought I might get to sit at the back of the classroom and just watch them be instructors for the week but they had other ideas! From day 1 I was delivering classroom sessions, running ice practices and putting the women through their paces on the running track.  I got to experience a new buzz of adrenaline and it was awesome.  I got to see some of the women form a dream and start to go after it.  I got to see some of the women improve and get closer to realising their dream and finally I got to see that I could make a difference and have an impact.  One day in the future I could watch one of them referee an Olympic Final with the knowledge that in some small way I may have helped them get there and helped them achieve their goal.

Over a drink one night at the camp, the IIHF Asian Project Manager mentioned to me that he was looking to help the Abu Dhabi Ice Sports Club appoint a Referee Chief for the up-coming season on a 9 month contract.  On the back of my new found buzz of adrenaline I asked him what the job involved and as he told me more I replied ‘sign me up’!  He asked me what I would do about my job in London and whether I could really go.  I told him ‘sometimes you just need to back yourself and trust your instincts’.  Matt and Kim both said they would give me a reference and Matt added that whilst some may say I am crazy he would say I had just shown him that I believe in myself.  Matt has been on my journey for a long time now and to have his support means a lot to me.

The rest is history!  On returning to the UK I received an email from the IIHF putting me in touch with the Abu Dhabi Ice Sports Club who in turn spoke with me about the role and the opportunity.  I spoke to my employer and unfortunately they couldn’t offer me a 9-month leave of absence … so I decided to take a leap of faith.  I quit my job and decided to go to Abu Dhabi and see what the future may hold for me. 

If it doesn’t work out then I can always come home and get a normal job again!

What is the job?

The role is to recruit new officials, and to train, develop and education the existing officials for the Emirates Hockey League.  In addition to this I am required to referee in the Emirates Hockey League myself and to give lectures on the IIHF rulebook to junior and senior players.

I will be responsible for the officiating programme for the Emirates Hockey League and everything that entails, from running camps and seminars, through to assigning games, supervising games, reviewing match reports and coordinating discipline for the league.

I was put in touch with two officials from Finland who had previously held the role and they were kind enough to talk to me about their time in the UAE.  Both enjoyed their experiences in the UAE but said to me it will be different to what I am used to!

I guess I won’t really know what the job is until I get there and get a chance to do it … and that is half of the fun!

Is there ice hockey in the UAE?

When I told my friends and family what I was going to do this question came up a lot.  I think they thought it was an elaborate story to get out of working and to go on holiday for 9 months!  However, I can confirm there is a pocket of ice hockey in UAE that is as passionate and as crazy about ice hockey as people are everywhere else in the world!

There are six teams in the Emirates Hockey League: Theebs; Whitebears; Storm; Scorpions; Camels; and Oilers, and there are three ice rinks in UAE.  The ice rinks in Dubai and Al Ain are in shopping centres, which will be a challenge for me given my obsession with shopping.  The ice rink in Abu Dhabi looks fantastic and would rival many of the rinks in the UK from what I have heard!

There are currently 15/16 officials for the league – some of who are local emirates and some are expats with experience of officiating in Canada, USA and Scandinavia.

I don’t know what the standard of play is like but I do know there is a good strong ice hockey community because many of the players and officials have already reached out to me to welcome me.

Beyond the Emirates Hockey League there are local leagues run in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, mixed in with some junior games and also some tournaments throughout the year.  From what I have heard I could be on the ice at least once a day if not more which is pretty crazy considering I will be in the middle of the desert!

What do I know?

The reality of this question is actually I know very little about what I am getting myself into and I guess that is part of the excitement.

I do know:

• I am being picked up at the airport by a man who works for the Abu Dhabi Ice Sports Club who will apparently be easy to find because he will be wearing a green polo shirt;
• My new boss is called Mohamed Aref ;
• My accommodation and travel is provided in addition to my monthly salary;
• I will be staying in a villa owned by the Abu Dhabi Ice Sports Club with other coaches who work for the club (one of whom emailed me to welcome me – he is called Matti and is from Finland) – but I don’t know how far it is from the beach and if I have a place for guests yet;
• I will have access to a car – but I don’t know what it is;
• I will be home at Christmas at some point – but I don’t know when;
• I don’t know what it is like in Abu Dhabi although I have been to Dubai a number of times and one of my best friends worked there and had a great time;
• I don’t know anyone in UAE but I have friends of friends and a whole hockey community to immerse myself into;
• I don’t know if I will be able to fly any officials out to help me but I will look into it for all of you who have offered your services; and
• I will be in charge of the officials for the Emirates Hockey League – but I don’t quite know what that means yet!

So it is a little bit of the un-known.  However many of the officials in the UAE have been emailing me to welcome me and they have offered to meet with me to help me settle in.

What have I been doing since I got the job?

Since being appointed in the role I have been busy organising a Pre-Season Camp for all of the officials.  This has been slightly tricky given I have been in the UK but I now have the camp scheduled for 12 and 13 September in Abu Dhabi.  I have confirmed the programme and have the majority of officials confirmed to attend. 

I have been fortunate enough to have the support of many instructors and supervisor around the world who have sent me material, videos and suggested camp topics to help me.  It is great to be part of an officiating family and I am grateful to them for all of the support they have given me so far and for all of their help which I will inevitably need over the coming months.

My good friend Mike Hicks recently got appointed as Referee Chief for Ice Hockey UK.  Over the last few weeks I have found myself camped out at his house in Cardiff so he could help me set-up an on-line document sharing and assignment system for the referees in the UAE.  In addition to organising and sharing a number of files, videos and templates that he has been working on for Ice Hockey UK, Mike has also helped me to structure my thoughts and plans for the next 9 months.  It is a much less daunting task to know that whilst I will be out in the UAE on my own, I am really not alone at all and I have a fantastic support network around the world!  

Earlier in the week after a day of computer work at Mike’s house, Mike took me for dinner with some of the local officials and my good friend and support Matt Thompson. At the dinner Mike presented me with a trophy and three gold whistles (one on a plague and two in a box and ready to be used) from Ice Hockey UK in recognition of my achievements at the Olympics.  I was overwhelmed and it made me realise how fortunate I am to have the backing and support of everyone in the UK.  It also made me laugh because if it is appropriate to use a gold whistle anywhere in the world it has to be in Dubai with their famous gold souks!  I hope they won’t mind me bringing a bit of my own bling from the UK!

I have also been in touch with all of the existing officials in the UAE to invite them to the camp but also to get to know them all a little bit better.  They have all filled in a profile form for me, which has helped to give me an idea of their experience and skill levels.  I am looking forward to working with them all!

Why am I writing this blog?

A lot of friends and family asked me if I would write a blog while I am away or at least keep a diary of the experiences so I can remember what it was like.  I decided it may be a good way for me to rationalise the challenges and the adventure I am about to embark on.  It is probably also a good way to help me not miss the people I love and my life back home too much.

The next 9 months is a little bit about me finding myself, a little bit about me getting back into training and learning to just love refereeing again (even when it is not a gold medal final at an Olympics), and a lot about seeing if I can give something back to a sport that has given me so much.  I want to see if in some small way I can make an impact on the world of ice hockey to help others get the enjoyment I have from it!

This blog is for all of the people who love and support me enough to let me go on this little adventure.  Thank you for understanding why I need to go and for not calling me crazy when even I acknowledge I am a little bit.   Leaving you behind and going on this adventure on my own is one of the hardest things I have ever done.  Thank you for supporting me and encouraging me to do it.

I can’t promise it will be an exciting read but I can promise I will do my best to update it every week or so and let you all know the fun, excitement and adventure that is ice hockey in UAE!