South African Hockey umpire Michelle Joubert on umpiring, rising above social media abuse and how to handle pressure.

The Herculean task of handling the stresses and pressures of competitive sports is no easy feat for athletes, and it is no different for referees. Mental strength is paramount when it comes to sustaining decision-making continuity and South African hockey referee Michelle Joubert believes using the pressure positively has helped her become one of the world’s best in her field.

Joubert started her refereeing career in unorthodox fashion.

“I was playing club hockey for TUT (Tshwane University of Technology) in Pretoria, and the umpire for the match after our match didn’t show up. I drew the short straw and was then seen by John Wright, who clearly saw something in me and made sure I stuck around and gain experience.”

The Vanderbijlpark local has progressed significantly since being brought into the refereeing game, Joubert has since officiated the Hockey World Cup Final in 2014 and then also the Olympic Final in 2016. The accolades have come with their own pressures though. She picked up an injury to the tendons in her feet, which led to her not being able to perform at her best. Joubert received a lot of criticism after the performance that she explained was below her calibre.

“By my own standards my performance was mediocre, as I was in so much pain. It was after this experience that I also learnt to stay away from social media – the abuse I received on my performance on after this game, the lack of support from my team, the injury and just my overall mental state of this one experience, really made me question my career and whether I still had the passion for it. It took me 8 months to fully recover from my injury, and probably the same time, to gain my mental strength and drive to carry on with my umpiring career.”

Although difficult, instead of letting the experience push her out of hockey, she used it to grow as an umpire.

“Initially it was tough, but through experience and some support, I have learnt that this is part of what I do. I have learnt to listen, to learn from each experience and try to not repeat the same mistakes.  I have learnt to not take this criticism personally as no performance, tournament or achievement actually defines who I am as a person.

“I live a normal life and like being on the ‘low profile’ side of the spectrum. It is important to remain humble as any great game or decision can turn around to become your next worse performance, and that is where you need your friends and support. I would like to think that I lead by example and try be same person to my other umpires. Mistakes are never on purpose, but I do think that if you acknowledge them, learn from them and keep your shoulders broad and skin thick, you should be ok.”

The UNISA alumni also uses exercises that she teaches to athletes to better her decision making before a game.

“I have worked on a program called Neuroscience to Sports training, where I trained elite athletes on sports specific cognitive, visual and physical skills. Part of this was stress or energy management. There are various techniques, however our focus was training the athletes through various breathing techniques where the brain releases chemicals to either lower or increase brainwaves in order to relax or increase energy levels. I apply this to my own preparations for matches or tournaments.”

Joubert believes that mental toughness is imperative to her trade and that staying focused, along with the support she gets from those around here, keep her focused on her goal.

“Mental Toughness is very important in any officiating career.  As it is, pressure is on you to make the right decision all the time, you don’t get rewarded for the correct decisions, but rather scrutinised for the mistakes you make.  We are required to be 100 percent focused for 100 percent of the time, we do not have time to really zone out, take a breather or relax – focus is key and obviously mental toughness to come back from making errors is key. It has been challenging, but personally I enjoy the pressure.”

Joubert is currently preparing for the Hockey World Cup in London which takes place in July.