Like all umpires, Australia’s Kylie Seymour is a hero on the hockey field. She takes responsibility for the big decisions in her role as an international official at events the world over. This summer, the profile of this talented 29-year-old will be raised even further when she officiates at the Hockey Champions Trophy in London, England before going onto take her place on the greatest stage of all, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.
“Going to the Olympics is a dream that I have worked towards for a very long time so I am still unbelievably excited about the whole thing”, said the Sydney-based umpire. “At times, I still can’t believe that I am going to Rio. The nerves are also starting to creep in as the countdown continues. My parents, two sisters and my cousin are booked to come to Rio so it will be extremely special to have them there to share the experience with me.”
However, it is not just members of the Seymour family that are excited about the prospect of Kylie’s pivotal role at the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’. As a teacher at Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Primary School in Rosemeadow, Sydney, her pupils are absolutely thrilled that ‘Miss Seymour is going to the actual Olympics’, an ambition shared by millions of children all over the world.
“They are so excited”, said Kylie. “I get asked ‘when are you going to the Olympics again?’ about three times a week! They often say that they cannot wait to see me on TV and ask for me to give them a wave! Some even say that they feel nervous for me!”
With that level of elation, it is clear that Kylie is greatly admired by her pupils. But being a high profile figure in one of the fastest team sports on the planet is not the only reason for the hero worship. Kylie has used her hockey travels and connections to inspire, educate and broaden the horizons of her youngsters in the best possible way, by bringing the world to her classroom.
“I love sharing my travelling experiences with my classes”, continued Kylie. “I used to send emails or update the class blog when I was away, but in 2014 I started the ‘Miss Seymour’s Hockey Adventures’ blog. I update it constantly while I am away at events, and the entire school community can access it, which is fantastic.”
As well as the blog, Kylie regularly makes video calls to her class from wherever she is in the world, allowing her to talk about her cultural experiences and the different time-zones across the world as well as the many nationalities of her umpiring colleagues. Kylie’s fellow umpiring friends are certainly playing their part in this global education, as she explains.
“As part of our ‘Human Society and Its Environment’ Key Learning Area, I thought it would be nice to use my umpiring contacts so that the children could interview people from other cultures. This was done through social media, email, video messages and even handwritten letters. Just about all of the umpires we contacted either wrote back a letter or sent a video message as well as sent pictures to the students who wrote to them. We received a fantastic letter back from [fellow teacher] Miss Amber Church’s class in New Zealand, Fanneke Alkemade from The Netherlands, Emi Yamada from Japan, Ayanna McClean from Trinidad and Tobago but who lives in US, Annelize Rostron in South Africa, Fza Azman from Malaysia, Irene Presenqui from Argentina and a very entertaining video message from Sarah Wilson in Scotland - the kids loved hearing her accent! It was a fantastic way for the students to gain information for the projects from real people all around the world.”
Kylie’s kids are certainly enjoying the benefit of her fantastic life as an international hockey umpire, but none of it would be possible without the constant support of her sporting passion from the school itself.
“This is my seventh year at the school and the school community has been so supportive of my umpiring career, encouraging me to dream big and achieve my goals. The Principal often approves leave during the school term for tournaments. They have been with me on the journey from my very first Australian Hockey League event in 2010 and first international match in 2011 to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and now the Rio Olympics in 2016. I really cannot thank them enough.”
This is yet another example of those involved in the game helping generate more followers around the world - a key goal of the Hockey Revolution, FIH's 10-year strategy aimed at making hockey a global game that inspires the next generation. For more information on the strategy, click here.
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