The masters degree is the first of its kind, designed specifically for referees and umpires, and Christina and one other person, Clare Daniels, were the first two to graduate last week.
Christina undertook her 3-year studies alongside working for World Netball and carried out pioneering research into the wellbeing support for officials.
Speaking on the course, she said: “The course seemed like a perfect fit. It’s allowed me to find out things that will help other officials in netball.
“It’s been challenging – you have to dedicate yourself – but what you gain is definitely worth it. Personally, you achieve great things.
“To be an umpire, or a referee, you have to be resilient. Netball officials are managing themselves well, but the support they get could be improved. My research found that help was often unstructured.
“It’s given me a platform to understand the problem so I can solve it and represent our officials better. I think it’s also a springboard to maybe expand into other sports and see what we can learn from each other.”
Christina and Clare were described by their Programme leader and Associate Professor, Dr Duncan Mascarenhas as, “trailblazers and great role models for others coming through.”
World Netball would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Christina on her Masters!
To find out more about Christina’s achievements, click here.
For more information on World Class Officiating, click here.
