Life's better on the other side for Flynn

RISING Toowoomba umpire is using today's state championships in the Garden City to catapult to a future Olympic dream.

THE RIGHT CALLS: Wilsonton State High School's Flynn Jefferies will represent the Darling Downs as an umpire for today's Queensland School Sport 13-19 years Boys Hockey State Championships. Picture: Sean Teuma

FIELD HOCKEY: While the region's brightest hockey talent struts their stuff for a national championship berth, one local official is eager to push his claims for further honours.

Flynn Jefferies of Wilsonton State High School will represent the Darling Downs as an umpire for today's Queensland School Sport 13-19 years boys Hockey State Championships in Toowoomba.

Jefferies is looking to put in a strong showing in front of coaches Bruce Hockey and Steve Rogers as he aims to progress to the next level.

"This weekend I'm looking forward to umpiring and also there's the opportunity of heading to New Zealand and doing further umpiring at a higher level,” Jefferies said.

"It would open up more careers in umpiring. I would love to go up to the higher levels. The Olympics would be absolutely amazing. It's really an opportunity for me here.

"Having someone like that (Bruce and Steve) mentor you is crazy, there's nothing like it.”

This won't be Jefferies first state championships, after heading north last year.

"I'm lucky enough to have Mr Garske here. He roped me into doing Darling Downs and I love it,” he said.

"I did it last year as well so I'm looking forward to it this year.

"We went to Townsville last year. I had never been there before. The fields were really good and the people were great.

"I've been umpiring for the last four or five years. I played a lot as a rep and then stopped that and moved into rep umpiring,” he said.

"I still play in the J division at Toowoomba. I still love hockey and playing it, but with umpiring, it's just as good.”

Darling Downs will play four pool games across today and tomorrow, before classification games on Saturday and Sunday.

Coach Brent Garske said the young side was ready to go for today's championships.

"The boys are shaping up well. They've prepared as well as can be, so they're excited to play in their home region and put in a quality performance,” Garske said.

"We have a relatively young team, but they're fast and skilful, so that will be exciting.”

Today: Darling Downs vs South Coast at 12.45pm and Darling Downs vs Met East at 4.05pm

DARLING DOWNS 13-19 BOYS

Carter Mogg, Hayden Dorge, Harrison Hood, Kynan Haddock, Nicholas Bidgood, Nathan Mead, Harrison Hughes, Mitchell Pammenter, Isaac Johnson, Bailey Rutledge, Will Nielsen, Beau Andrews, Elijah Mathewson, Liam Matherson, Matthew Trevor (GK) , Harrison Howarth (GK)

Originally published as Life's better on the other side for Flynn