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Tennis Umpire  Lucy

“ I was 19 and on court with Pete Sampras - amazing. ”
Who?

Lucy Grant, 26

My job
I work as a tennis umpire for all the major associations and I’m my own boss!
Funniest moment?
Watching players lose their temper is always hilarious. I get it all the way through from little kids up to the professionals so I have to be like a sponge. It's not you personally they are shouting at – they just want to shout at someone.
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My best bits

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  • Flying around the world for tennis tournaments is one of the best bits of my job.
    wed, 20 oct 10
  • 5 days of relaxing before, hopefully, it's on to work at the Commonwealth Games - if they happen...
    thu, 30 sep 10
  • I'm in Jersey officiating at a men's challenger and a women's $25,000 event. These are really big tournaments for Britain
    mon, 29 mar 10
  • Bye bye Columbia - I'm off to my next job in Acapulco!
    wed, 03 mar 10
  • I'm working at a tournament in Columbia - and brushing up on my Spanish skills!
    thu, 25 feb 10
  • We can't talk about players. You have to be able to come off court and stay professional
    wed, 24 feb 10
  • It's a very diverse job. I was line umpiring an international match one week and in the chair at a small tournament this week.
    thu, 04 feb 10
  • Just flown straight from my sister's wedding to a tournament in Tashkent in Uzbecastan.
    thu, 23 sep 10

My career path:

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Previous month
February

Hi, I'm a 19 years old National Chair Umpire and Referee from Portugal, and I want to congratulate you for creating this site, where young Umpires can ask things about officiating Thanks Tiago, maybe our paths will cross in the future.

mon, 28 feb 2011

London 2012 is calling! You have to be the best of the best in your country to get to officiate so I'll be sharpening my skills hoping to make it into the umpire's chair!

fri, 25 feb 2011

Keeping up to date with new rules and continuing your training as an umpire is vital if you want to work on the biggest matches, or like me, you want to umpire at the Olympics!

wed, 23 feb 2011

The Silver Badge means I've got the skills to work at bigger events doing tougher matches and I will no solely be a chair umpire. I'm so up for a new challenge this year!

tue, 15 feb 2011

I've got some great news! I got my silver badge! This is a big step forward in my professional career and it really was the perfect end to a tremendous year. If you put the effort in, all the hard work pays off. I was awarded the badge in the second week of December and partied on for the rest of the month!!

mon, 07 feb 2011
 
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CloseWho?

Lucy Grant, 26

Do you love it?
Oh yes! It's absolutely brilliant being in control and deciding when I work, where I work and how many days I work for. I also love the travelling it brings. I travel about 30 weeks a year staying in some lovely places.
How often do you get an adrenalin rush?
You get a real rush at the end of the match. When you say 'Game; set; match' and the crowd roar, that's pretty amazing.
What skills do you need?
I’d say concentration, confidence, communication and common sense. Knowing when to crack down on a player and when not to is important, as it’s easy to ignite a situation.
What would it mean to you to umpire at the London Olympics and Paralympic Games 2012?
I umpired in Athens 2002 and Beijing 2006 and they were amazing experiences so to potentially be part of it in our home nation is wonderful. I’m so excited about being at Wimbledon on the grass courts.
How did you become an umpire?
After playing tennis for the Highland district as a teenager I was asked if I'd like to get into umpiring as the people running the game wanted more youngsters involved. I said ‘Yeah, OK’ and ten years on I am enjoying it more than ever!
At what point did you realise your talents were suited to this career?
Seven years ago I had to make the choice between doing my white badge (international level qualification) or doing my re-sits at University. I chose the umpire qualification, passed it and I've never looked back! It was definitely the right choice.
Funniest moment?
Watching players lose their temper is always hilarious. I get it all the way through from little kids up to the professionals so I have to be like a sponge. It's not you personally they are shouting at – they just want to shout at someone.
Umpired any superstars?
As a line umpire I have been on court with all of the top players of the last decade. I was 19 when I did my first Centre Court game and Pete Sampras was playing. Being on court with someone you've grown up watching on TV was a bit special.
Tell us something about your job that might surprise us?
You don't have to be sporty to be an umpire! As long as you're interested in the game you can make a great official.
What advice would you give to a teenager who’d like to follow in your footsteps?
I would say it's brilliant and definitely worth looking into. Just give it a try to see if it's right for you. It is easier than you think to get into and you can really make it into whatever you want as long as you're hardworking and practical.
Do you learn on the job?
You do a mixture of classroom and practical training. You can only learn so much about the rules of the game so most of your training is done out there on the court making decisions on line calls and from the chair itself.
CloseWho?

Lucy Grant, 26

Been anywhere nice with work lately?  Jonny B
We went to Morocco and the tournament organisers took us out for a meal and to do Moroccan dancing – we do things you probably wouldn’t get to do if you were just there on holiday. It’s fantastic.
Do you think London will be a good host?  Lucinda (Havant)
Of course I do. I can’t wait to see how London does as the host city and to be part of it helping the city to do a good job is going to be a thrill.
do you have many friends in officiating? which is the best match you have umpired?  Richard
Hi Richard! Thanks for your question. Some of my best friends are in officiating. We are always travelling together, learning things and gaining new experiences so we naturally become very close. It's like we're family some of the times! Although not a famous match one of my best and most memorable was between James Ward (GBR) and Chris Eaton (GBR). The match was a play-off for the Davis Cup... best of 5 sets. The score was 21-19 in the final set and it took over 6hrs and 40min! This one I will never forget!
is your job hard?  Hadeeka
Do you get lots of free sports kit?   Katy
Hi Katy! Yes, we get a new uniform at the tournaments and this tends to be sport attire of some sort. Sometimes on a trip if its over a few weeks I can end up with 4 or 5 pairs of trainers! My family and friends love this part as when I get home I tend to give them away.
Is your job hard?   Hadeeka
Hi Hadeeka - Some aspects are hard, and it definitely takes time to build up the skills needed to umpire.
can i do work experience?  billy bob jay smith
Hello Lucy, I am thinking about becoming a line umpire but am over 50. Have I left it too late?Reg  Reg
how do you keep control of the players and what sanctions can you give  chloe
"How do you keep control of the players and what sanctions can you give?"   Chloe
Match control is one of the most important skills of an umpire. It's about understanding a player's frustration but managing it in away that is not disrespectful to yourself, others involved in the match or others watching the match. If the do begin to get rowdy there is a 'code of conduct' that can be enforced. This works that first they receive a warning, then for a second incident a point penalty and then a third a game penalty. After that they could be defaulted for continued bad behavior.
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