Star Marryatville High School student official Lola Shepherd nominated for 2022 SA School Sports Awards

This teenage sensation is making big waves as a netball umpire and now has a chance to win an SA School Sports Award. See how to nominate a rising star.

A young gun Oakdale netballer has shown major potential on the court as an official and now has the chance to win a major award as a result.

16-year-old Lola Shepherd – who attends Marryatville High School and began umpiring in 2017 – is rising up the ranks of SA sporting officials and has been nominated in the secondary section of The Advertiser, Messenger and Department for Education School Sports Awards 2022.

Shepherd said she was thrilled to be nominated.

“It’s very unexpected but I am very honoured. It’s great to have the student officials recognised as it can be hard work being an umpire but it is really rewarding,” Shepherd said.

“I’m proud to represent my school and my club, as well as my mentor Ash Gibson at Oakdale who has been a fantastic support for me throughout my umpiring journey.

“It would be great to win and have netball umpiring recognised as the game can’t happen without us and it’s such a huge sport for girls, and increasingly boys, in SA.”

SA netball umpire and Oakdale player Lola Shepherd at Marryatville High School. She has been nominated for the 2022 School Sports Awards. Picture: Emma Brasier

Shepherd has been playing netball since the age of four and became an umpire through Netball SA’s ‘Green Shirt Program’ in 2017.

She said the experience has helped her understanding of the sport.

“Becoming an umpire has been a great way to better understand the game, develop my knowledge and skills as a player, and become more involved in the sport.

“I also enjoy meeting other umpires at every game and working as a team with them to make each game as fair and well-managed as possible.”

Shepherd has achieved significant success as an official through 2022, earning her ‘C badge’ for national accreditation from Netball Australia and officiating the School Sport Australia U12 Netball Championships in NSW.

Shepherd has received national accreditation and umpired the School Sport Australia championships in September. Picture: Emma Brasier

“It was a fantastic experience and it was great to meat student umpires from other states and work together,” she said.

“It was a fantastic atmosphere, the games were very competitive and great to umpire, and I also enjoyed helping with the development sessions which involved teaching players rules which aren’t well understood.”

While the awards are fast-approaching Shepherd remains focused on developing as an umpire and a player at Oakdale Netball Club.

The School Sports Awards are the joint initiative of The Advertiser, Messenger and Department for Education.

There are three major awards in 2022 – individual competitors, individual student officials, and teams, with female and male and primary and secondary categories all included.

Enrolled primary or secondary students between the ages of 10-18 are eligible.

Nominate by Wednesday, November 16 at https://www.education.sa.gov.au/schools-and-educators/programs-students/school-sport-sa/awards2/school-sports-awards