Football
22 July, 2024
Haven umpire to compete in Australia Games
Haven's Kynan Stasinowsky will later this month participate in the School Sport Australia Games, being held on the Gold Coast.
The event will be held from Saturday, July 27, to Saturday, August 3rd. This year, for the first time, Championships for numerous sports will be held at the same time in an Olympic Games style.
Sports include Australian Rules, Basketball, Hockey, Netball, Softball and Swimming.
This year, the Australian Football 15 Years and Under Championship will include combined Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns academy teams, featuring the best female and male talent from Queensland's Australian Football pathway.
Stasinowsky has been chosen as part of the Victorian State Team as an umpire for Australian Rules for a consecutive year.
Locally, he officiates in the Wimmera Football Netball League and is also a member of the Community Umpire Accelerator/VFL Program, for which he umpires Talent League games and will oversee the upcoming VLine Cup.
The 16-year-old has been umpiring for almost two years.
His initial interest came from being at the football as his younger brother plays, and as he competes in athletics, he thought it would be good off-season fitness.
It didn't take him long to become hooked.
"I enjoy being involved in the football community and the fitness umpiring brings," he said.
While eventually hoping to umpire in the AFL, short term, Stasinowsky is looking to continue his involvement and umpiring with the CUAP/VFL.
In the meantime, though, Stasinowsky is grateful and happy to have been selected again for the Championships and is looking forward to the experience of officiating the games.
"Each opportunity to umpire different athletes and at different events, especially events with a high standard, brings new challenges and learning, increasing my abilities, knowledge, and skills," he said.