Oliver Jessop

I have had the opportunity to develop critical thinking and teamwork during my volunteer work at Tennis Australia, working on several events since I was selected as a volunteer ballkid in 2021 when I was 11 years old,

These events have demonstrated my ability to manage high-pressure situations and collaborate effectively with fellow squad members of various ages and experience, receive and execute instruction by Squad leaders.

In the 2024 United Cup event I was selected as the squad leader of a team of 6 members. In this role I had the responsibility of monitoring squad members activity, identifying risk and managing behaviour to ensure smooth operation of the support provide to the game. All of these games were televised and therefore it was important to have a high level of concentration to ensure a smooth game.

I am a current member in the Canterbury Referees Association which covers games in the Canterbury Region, and occasionally community National Premier League (NPL) games which always offers a challenge. I have developed my critical thinking skills and confidence during my time refereeing. In most games, I can use my team work skills to communicate with other referees who might be either in the centre role, or line official. This role has provided experience gained from managing conflict presented by unruly players, team coaches and parents, This role also requires me to keep a log book and submit cases describing incidents for the Association record keeping processes.