Michelle Joubert

Michelle Joubert Field Hockey Umpire

Michelle Joubert Hockey Umpire

2016 Olympic Field Hockey Umpire

Michelle Joubert Field Hockey Umpire
Umpire of the Year speaks with us before the Olympics
2016 Gold Medal Umpire

World’s Top FieldHockey Umpire Excited and Ready for Rio

Congratulations Michelle on being awarded the 2016 Gold Medal Game. What a fantastic year you have had. Very exciting to watch! Well done!

Michelle Joubert is an elite international umpire in the sport of FieldHockey. She is the 2015 FIH Women’s International Umpire of the Year Award winner and holder of a Golden Whistle for her first 100 international matches. Michelle Joubert is well prepared for the upcoming Olympics in Rio.

Occasionally, a sport association will be able to produce a team of extraordinary officials. In order to do that it needs a core of extraordinary leaders. Leaders who set the bar high and lead the way. Wise and caring leaders who are willing to share their skills and experiences with others around them. These leaders, these officials, the ones who truly stand out because of their extraordinary personalities and contributions, can have a tremendous impact in their sport on a global basis for years to come. Michelle Joubert is that kind of official.

Michelle Joubert 100th Intl with Marelize de Klerk

Michelle Joubert and Marelize de Klerk

The umpires of Fieldhockey are some of my favourite officials to follow. The people that I have had contact with in this sport and its community have all been so friendly and enthusiastic. They are special and they are great ambassadors for their game. The community is full of fun and friendship and they all truly enjoy their jobs and the relationships they have with each other. It is very much my pleasure to have chatted with many of them and learned from them and about them. They train hard, prepare well and they give everything they have to each match. As a group, there is so much talent in this sport, that becoming the International Umpire of the Year is an incredible achievement. Michelle Joubert is the inaugural recipient of their prestigious award and she has set a very high standard indeed for future umpires to follow.

Michelle Joubert fieldhockey 2015 Umpire of the Year

2015 Umpire of the Year

I first noticed Michelle Joubert in the very early days of Officials101. She was one of the first of many elite umpires and referees to follow the page and certainly the first that really made me take notice of the word ‘elite’. It is her passion and enthusiasm for her sport that are the things you notice first about Michelle but it is her understanding of people and the willingness to share her wisdom that set her apart.

As I write this, Michelle is currently umpiring at the 2016 FIH Champions Trophy in London. You can catch a few glimpses of her in these highlights of the opening match, a 2-2 draw between Argentina and Great Britain. Before she left for London, I asked Michelle what her thoughts are regarding her appointment to the 2016 Olympics.

She told me “It’s an honour to be part of Rio 2016”, and shared some of her insights about what it is like for an umpire to be on the international stage of such a high profile tournament as the Olympic Games.

“Although this tournament is about the athletes competing, us, as officials, also have a huge amount of pressure in ensuring fairness in results and ensuring the best teams end on top.”

It takes years of training and hard work to earn the right to appear as an official at the Olympic Games. As with the Michelle Joubert Linked in profile pic june 2016athletes, only the very best of the best officials will be there. “Mental toughness and physical preparation is key to achieve our goals” she said.

Like the leader she is, Michelle has this note of advice for her Olympic teammates and to the next wave of elite umpires:

 “To the ‘young’ umpires who are embarking on their 1st Olympic Games, I think it is important to be as prepared as best they possibly can, to enjoy the process of preparation and to enjoy this journey. No matter how much or how little you get time on the field, embrace the experience and be grateful for the opportunity. Michelle”

Thanks for reading!
Jim

If you enjoyed this page, you may also like these Officials101 Collections:

Field Hockey Umpires 101 Collection  
Hockey Referee 101 Collection 
Olympics Sports Officials 101 Collection
Women’s Sports Officials 101 Collection 

Michelle Joubert Links

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You may also enjoy these Officials101 chats with Olympic Officials:

Fanneke Alkemade Field Hockey Umpire 
Alhambra Nievas Rugby Referee 2016 Gold Medal Game
Kylie Seymour Field Hockey Umpire

 FIH

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2016 Olympic Umpire Announcement
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Northern Blues Hockey Association

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Background Articles

Wikipedia 2010 Champions Trophy
EuroHockey Umpire of the Year announcement
Golden Whistle Award
FIH Umpire of the Year announcement
From the Other Side of the Whistle by Michelle Joubert
Michelle Joubert the Player, the Umpire, The Person by Marianna Putter

Photo Credit

The excellent Title Photo was taken by Gaby Mabromata

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