Newsletter Newsletter 1/2017 National Umpire Seminar in Poland

On a freezing weekend 7th-8th January 2016 in Poland took place the Polish National Umpire Course.

It was the 4th Polish Annual Umpire Course organised by Mr. Roman Lewicki, the Polish Taekwon-Do Association’s Vice-President to referee matters, who conducted the seminar. In leading the course he was assisted by Ms. Joanna Lipa and Mr. Krzysztof Cywiński in leading the course. Ms. Izabela Łoboda acted as a host in the PTA Headquarters and helped in the organizational matters.

This year the course was held in Lublin that hosted a group of candidates for new judges and some of people who already had umpire licenses and wanted to update their knowledge on the tournament rules. All participants acquainted themselves with the changes in the rules and learned about news in the judging system. The course was also an opportunity to test new tools called ‘clickers’ which will be used to refereeing patterns and sparing in Poland.

Umpire course training staff (from left) Mr. Roman Lewicki, Ms. Joanna Lipa, Mr. Krzysztof Cywiński

During two days of trainings sessions thirty new people got umpire licence class D, nine of participants raised their permission to class C, and four of them to class B. Furthermore in course took part 17 people who only wanted to refresh their knowledge.

In the end the attendees could anonymously evaluate the course in a 1 to 10 scale. The whole training course got in total 9 points. So high rate raises the bar really aloft for the next annual umpire course to be held in 2018.

An additional happening during the course was a lottery of a new dobok. The happy winner became Mr. Eryk Niewęgłowski from Radzynski Sportowy Klub Taekwon-Do.

Despite really low temperatures, the participants found time to walk together along beautiful, snowy Lublin Old Town.