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Hello, my name is Oliver

Referee of the year for 3 years in a row OLIVER GUAZZELLI is offering his experience and knowledge as one of the states best referees to anyone interested in progressing as a volleyball referee. Click the link below to learn more about being a referee, its incentives and opportunities.

If you wish to discuss mentorship programs, qualifications or general questions, please email secretary@balcattavolleyball.com.au to get in touch with Oliver AND fill in the form below.

Referee Reimbursements: A reminder that the club reimburses full amount of Level 1 accreditation and half of the Level 2 accreditation to its club members.

My Story

Although I first got my Level 1 Accreditation in 2011, I didn’t start working on my officiating until my first year at university in 2016. Casual refereeing at different competitions is a great way to earn a bit of money on the side, and I found that I would often get paid more at those casual gigs than I would doing duty at WAVL (although every dollar counts!).

 

During 2016 and 2017, I slowly worked towards getting my Level 2 Accreditation, and I eventually attended my first AYVC in 2017, which is a Junior National competition that had U/15, U/17, and U/19 state teams.

 

My first national event didn’t go entirely as I had planned, often making stupid mistakes that would cause delays in matches, or make teams lose faith in my decision making. Fortunately, I had a strong support network of other referees in attendance, including referees from WA and other referees that I had met throughout the week. The support network that you have as a referee, along with the new friends that you meet at national events, is one of the main reasons why I keep going back.

 

Eventually in 2019 I got my Level 3 Accreditation, and that has opened up even more opportunities to develop myself as a referee. Soon after I was nominated for referee of the year by Balcatta Volleyball and have held the title for subsequent years; I have also been a nominee for VWA referee two years on a row.

 

I’m looking forward to refereeing AVL this year, and potentially travelling to attend some interstate tournaments. What initially started as a way to get some easy money has become a way to develop myself and have the opportunity to travel and meet new people which I otherwise would not have been able to do. Over the past 7 years of refereeing, I’ve become much more confident in myself, I’ve been able to spend time with the sport that I love, and I’m hoping that over the coming years I’ll continue to develop as a person. The one thing that I haven’t been able to do as much is develop new referees, but I’m hoping to change that this year.

 

To help foster new officiating talent, Balcatta has a number of incentives. The cost of the Level 1 Referee Course is fully covered by the club, and the Level 2 Referee Course is 50% covered.

Balcatta also has a Referee Mentorship Program, where they can arrange for senior referees to assess your officiating, give you tips to improve, and things to focus on for when you are next on the stand. These senior referees can also sign off on your Level 2 hours, so that you can quickly get your new accreditation.

 

On top of this, Balcatta is looking to send at least one referee to Bendigo this year to referee at AYVC. This is a week long tournament that runs from the 23rd to the 29th of September, and is the tournament where new referees can improve the most. Flights, transport, and accommodation are all covered by Volleyball Australia, with an additional per diem to cover food costs. This is a great opportunity to improve your refereeing, no matter your level, and to meet new friends that you will be able to catch up with at future events.

 

Additionally, I’m always available to discuss rule interpretations, hypotheticals, and “what-ifs” that anyone comes up with. If any of this sounds interesting to you, or if you’re just looking to gain a deeper understanding of the rules, feel free to message me on Facebook or email secretary@ballcattavolleyball.com.au to have your details forwarded to me.

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VWA Course

All courses are completed through the VWA portal. Go to their website to find upcoming dates.

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