Grassroots Athletics
‘Officiating can fill a gap in your l computerised results system was created I volunteered my services. Parallel with this, I sometimes helped Arnold Black and Margaret McInally on seeding. In those days, it was a completely manual process When Scottish Athletics purchased Hy-Tek Meet Manager, the computerised system able to do both results and seeding, I moved my focus to work with this. The product itself has evolved over the years, and various Event Managers within SAL along with a small band of Officials like myself have upskilled ourselves on the programme. We now have a very useful computerised system. For many years I was still only working at Championships – Leagues rarely needed SAL Officials for admin work.
Athletics mum Val Murdoch turned back to the sport to become an Official in 1999 after her husband was tragically killed in a car crash and her children left home for further education. Two decades of enjoyment and constant learning later and our 2019 Official of the Year can’t wait to commit more time to help us help our sport. Could you follow Val’s pathway? Read on...
Q
How did you get first get involved in athletics?
Well, as it happens, via a truly life changing experience. Both my children were involved in athletics; Iain in middle distance/steeplechase and
By the 2010s both my children were now living overseas and once again I had far too Lindsay in long/triple jump.(Iain represented much time on my hands at weekends, so GB at World Junior, European U20 and U23 what could I do? Try another discipline, of level.) course! Family weekends were spent travelling all over Scotland/UK (and occasionally abroad) to attend numerous meetings. In mid-1999 two things happened almost simultaneously – both children left home to go to University and I was unexpectedly widowed when my husband was killed in a car crash. Family weekend activities as I had known for many years ceased almost overnight. To maintain sanity I had to fill those gaps - so I turned to athletics and becoming an Official. I contacted the Office, and the next thing I knew I was on Declarations at the Indoor District Champs in January 2000. I’ve never looked back!
Q
Please tell us a little bit about your journey as an Official?
I began doing work only for Championships, mainly on Declarations and sometimes in the Call Room.
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I’m a born administrator, so was in my element. Over a couple of years I became aware of seeding and results being within the overall ‘Admin’ roles, so when a (basic)
I thought the Start team looked an interesting role, so around 2013 I attended a beginners training course. Soon afterwards I was trackside, wearing a red t-shirt (seemed odd after years being in purple) and actually dealing with athletes rather than a computer. So now I divide my time between Seeding at Championships and Starter’s Assistant duties at many of the leagues.