“Umpiring is my hobby, my passion, I have a full time job outside hockey.” I get a lot of questions about what life is like outside of being a hockey umpire. And it is always nice to watch the different reactions on people’s faces when I tell them the same answer.

I guess I have been around that much in the last few month that everybody just assumes that umpiring was my job. But let’s be honest, I don’t know exactly for all the hockey umpires in the world, but for the big majority of us, we can’t live from being an umpire. We have a full time job in the “real” life plus families, friends and maybe other hobbies as well.

In Belgium we get 52€ (£45) for a top level match plus petrol money and our umpiring shirts.

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