Oh boy, have I got a treat for you today! The Indoor World Cup is just around the corner (7-11 Feb, Berlin, more info here), so I had a chat to absolute superstar World Panel international umpire Michelle Meister from Germany about her preparation for the tournament.

In case you’re not aware of Michi’s CV, let me give you a quick run down of the major events she’s umpired at:

• Indoor World Cup, 2011, Poznan, Poland
• Champion’s Trophy, 2012, Rosario, Argentina
• World Cup, 2014, The Hague, Netherlands
• Indoor World Cup, 2015, Leipzig, Germany
• Hockey World League Final, 2015, Rosario, Argentina
• Junior World Cup, 2016, Santiago, Chile
• Olympic Games, 2016, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Indoor World Cup, 2018, Berlin, Germany

Michelle is also on the World Panel for Outdoor and Grade 1 for Indoor (the highest tiers on each ladder) AND she’s recently been appointed to the women’s World Cup 2018 in London.

Pretty impressive huh!

Preparing for the Indoor World Cup with Michi Meister

1. How did you get into indoor umpiring and what has your pathway been?

Indoor hockey has always been part of German hockey. We play a whole season with home and away matches in the respective leagues during the winter months. The indoor season has been held in almost equal regard to the outdoor season so far. In this respect, I grew up with indoor hockey and played it myself for 20 years. Every umpire in Germany does both indoor and outdoor. I like indoor hockey a lot – it’s fast and technically demanding.

Internationally, I started with a Club Champions Cup in Madrid in 2009. This was followed by three European Championships and one Pan Am Championship. Furthermore, I’ve been lucky to participate in two Indoor World Cups already and I am looking forward to the third one in my hometown of Berlin.

2. What are the major differences between indoor and outdoor for you? What do you like about one version over the other?

Indoor hockey is much faster than outdoor hockey. In addition, the ball must not be played high, which is allowed in outdoor as long as it is not dangerous. Indoors you can only bring the ball high to shoot at goal. Indoors you use another stick. It’s lighter and thinner. Furthermore, all players wear a glove on the left hand, which protects the hand, because during tackles you have you hand almost on the ground.

I would say that indoor hockey is technically more demanding because it is played in such a small space. When I started umpiring, I liked indoor hockey more than outdoor but now both versions have their appeal for me.

3. What has your preparation been for the Indoor World Cup? How does that differ to your preparation for a major outdoor event like the Olympics or World Cup?

I’ve done a preparation tournament with 7 men’s matches, another tournament with 4 men’s matches and one extra test match of the 1st division men already. Over our indoor season I’ll probably get another 10 matches up (1st division men and woman). I’ve also been invited to the Austrian Masters, so I will have 3 matches there at the end of January, and I’m hoping to be invited to the German Finals Series as well, which will be the weekend before the IWC starts. So it’s more or less umpiring, umpiring and umpiring! I also do some video analysis and mentally prepare myself for the long days and early starts during the IWC.

The match and mental preparation doesn’t differ too much from the prep for a major outdoor event. There is really only an additional fitness program added for outdoor and sometimes you have to prepare your body for special weather conditions (heat, humidity, etc.).

4. What’s it going to be like having such a major hockey tournament in your home city? Are you looking forward to it? How will the experience be different for you?

Oh definitely yes, I’m really looking forward to it! I know the venue and my family does not have to travel that far to see me this time. But as a local, such an event is always a bit different. You are not only an umpire – you also organise a lot for your colleagues and try to help wherever you can; be it transportation, dinner, or other wishes. As such, it’s not quite as relaxed for a local as if the event was somewhere else. But, that is part of it and I will make every effort to make it an unforgettable event for all of us!

5. Side tracking a little bit for a second: Can you tell us a little bit about your experience at the Olympics in Rio (both on and off the pitch)?

The Olympics are not just something extraordinary for athletes. Even as an official you get this very special feeling. It was a long road to get there, but it was worth all the sacrifices. The matches themselves are hardly different from other big events, but it’s all the stuff around that makes it so special. The Olympic logo, the many other sports that you can watch, the fans and athletes that you travel with on the bus or train.

I was lucky to umpire the opening match between Argentina and USA and will always remember the feeling during the anthems. In addition, I will always remember going to watch the beach volleyball at Copacabana beach, as well as getting to see six different sports within one day!

6. What are your top tips for up-and-coming umpires (both indoor and outdoor)?

• The most important thing: Have fun with what you do!
• Be, and stay, yourself
• Enjoy the opportunities you are given and don’t worry if others “move” faster than you
• Try always to concentrate on the game that is in front of you
• Mistakes are there to learn from

Thanks so much to Michi for taking the time to chat with me! We wish her all the best for the Indoor World Cup and look forward to watching her superstar performances. Wish Michi good luck in the comments section below!

If you liked this post, why not share it using the buttons below? There are also more of my umpiring experiences, as well as interviews with top international umpires, on the Experiences page.

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