European Squash Federation Promotes Women in Refereeing at WSO Women in Refereeing Workshop

Strategic Insights -

The European Squash Federation, in partnership with the World Squash Federation (WSF) and the Professional Squash Association (PSA), has made significant strides in promoting women in refereeing through the WSO Women in Refereeing workshop in Birmingham. The event, part of the LA28 Women in Refereeing Initiative, aimed to develop a minimum of six female referees to PSA World Tour and World Squash Major Championship standard by the 2028 Olympic Games. The workshop brought together prominent female figures in the sport, including former world champions Dame Susan Devoy and Sarah Fitzgerald, and World Squash President Zena Wooldridge.

Key Takeaways:

  • Three European Squash Federation referees, Laura Tiemann from Germany, Alicja Ciszewska from Poland, and Adriana Aida from Scotland, attended the WSO Women in Refereeing workshop in Birmingham, gaining "incredibly valuable insights" into the sport and the importance of female officiating.
  • The workshop included presentations from professional referee Andrea Santamaria, a group activity discussing clips of refereeing decisions, and talks from Lucy Townley, Active WSO L3 Referee, and Lucy's professional refereeing experience was highlighted.
  • The event showcased the importance of female officiating and created a scalable model for future implementation, with the goal of rolling out further events in Egypt, Hong Kong, and the USA next season.
  • The agenda included talks from Wendy Danzey, a retired referee, and Adriana Olaya, the Head of the Squash United Foundation, emphasizing the need for more support and promotion of women in refereeing.
  • Current world no.67 Millie Tomlinson from England offered insights into how refereeing decisions can be perceived by players, providing valuable feedback to the female referees attending the workshop.
  • The PWRI was promoted by Jason Foster, which aims to encourage players and former players to become referees, supported by IOC Solidarity Funding.
  • World Squash President Zena Wooldridge highlighted the importance of refereeing and the need for greater gender equality in the sport.

Statistics:

  • 3 European Squash Federation referees attended the WSO Women in Refereeing workshop.
  • 7 prominent female figures in the sport attended the workshop, including Dame Susan Devoy and Sarah Fitzgerald.
  • 4 talks from former and current referees were delivered during the event.
  • 2 group activities, a clip discussion and an anonymous online poll, were held to facilitate discussions among the referees.
  • The event received IOC Solidarity Funding.

Sources:

  • European Squash Federation news release.
  • Personal quotes from Laura Tiemann, Alicja Ciszewska, Adriana Aida, Lucy Townley, and Adriana Olaya.