July Umpire in the Spotlight

In this edition we are spotlighting Frens Dijkman of the Netherlands.  With Frens announcing his retirement as a FISA Umpire earlier this year we wanted to take an opportunity to recognize the contributions to our sport made by one of our most experienced Umpires.

Frens: How nice that the FISA Umpiring Commission is thinking of me to be an umpire to feature in the “Umpire in the Spotlight”. I feel very honored!

Indeed, I retire this year as umpire (FISA and national). My last performance as an umpire was at the European Rowing Championships in Lucerne. During these championships I received the badge of honour from Patrick and many nice words! My final act was being the umpire of the race at the final of the men’s eight.

How long have you been an Umpire?

Frens: I have been national umpire from 1978 (41 years) and FISA umpire from 1985 (34 years).

How did you discover rowing?

Frens: My first contact with rowing started when I became student at the Agricultural University in Wageningen in 1970. I was 17 years old then and I became member of the student rowing club Argo. I thought that rowing , as an intensive way of doing sport, would be healthy and give structure to my life as a young student. It did and I never regretted that decision. I had a wonderful time at Argo. I still have a lot of friends from that period. 

Why did you become an Umpire?

Frens: My club Argo organized every year the International Argo Sprint Championships on Friday evening, the eve of the Koninklijke & Holland Beker Regatta (KHB). Besides that, Argo organized every five years a national rowing regatte as part of the celebration of their lustrum. Argo stimulated club-members to become umpire, to enable to organize and run these regattas with “own” officials. That is why I became national umpire in 1978.

How long did you want to become a FISA Umpire?

Frens: In the eighties I was involved in the organization of the KHB and George Brusse, who was chair of the umpiring commission of the national rowing federation (KNRB) and president of the jury at the KHB, suggested that I should go for the FISA Umpiring examination. That is what I did in 1985 in Hazewinkel.

What is you most memorable Umpiring Experience?

Frens: I have good memories to a lot of FISA events and international regatta’s in the neighboring countries, where I was umpire as part of the exchange program. The most memorable experience for me was without no doubt being member of the jury at the triple World Championships Rowing in Rotterdam in 2016.

What was the most challenging decision you ever had to make as an umpire and what would you do differently now, if anything?

Frens:  The most challenging decision I had to make as umpire was at the German Junior Rowing Championships in Munich in 2016. I was umpire of the race of the final JM18 1x on Sunday afternoon. At 1500 meters I heard on the radio that there was capsized boat (1x) on the finish line between lane 5 and 6. The junior sculler in the lead was in lane 6! I decided not to stop the race and try to manage it. At 1750 meter I could see the obstacle and it had drifted into lane 6, just in front of the potential winner of the race. The second boat was in lane 4 and the third in lane 3. Even then I decided not to stop the race and try to guide the potential winner to lane 6 (the boat in that lane was far behind).  Heart beat at that time >180 bpm! Only in the last 100 meters of the race I could convince the junior in lane 5 to shift to lane 6. This was all in clear sight of the crowded grandstand!

The junior missed the obstacle and despite of the maneuver I forced him to, he still became the winner of the race and junior champion. Second place for lane 4 and third place for lane 3. No protests and… white flag! My heart beat was slowly going down and I think everybody was happy with the result. Hadn’t I be able to convince the junior in lane 5, or had he become second or third instead of winner, I would have had a problem.

What regatta that you have never worked would you like to work? Why?

Frens: I never was at the Olympic Games. That is of course a dream of every umpire, but I realize that not every Dutch FISA umpire can get that opportunity.

Why should someone become an Umpire?

Frens: Of course everybody will have his or hers own reasons to become umpire. For me the most important reasons were that being umpire I could pay something back for the sport rowing I enjoyed so much as a student, and it is a very good way to keep in touch with the sport, both on national and international level. 

What recommendation would you give a new Umpire?

Frens: My recommendation to new umpires is that you should start your career with doing a lot of national regattas with unexperienced young crews. That is the way to learn the job and to get routine. After starting that way, taking part in international exchange programs is important for getting international experience. My second advice is that as umpire you always have to realize that you act in service of the sport, the race and the crews. This basic principle should ‘colour’ your style of umpiring and your tone of communication with the athletes. 

What do you do to relax when you are not umpiring?

Frens: ‘Relaxing when not umpiring’ was not a real issue for me. I don’t think umpiring usually is a very stressful thing to do (except in a case like in Munich as I described above). Nevertheless, I relax twice a week rowing with my veteran friends at my present club Pontos in Lelystad. Perhaps now, after retirement (also professional,) I am going to row three times a week!

From all of the competitors and coaches in the many races and regattas that benefited from your services, and all of the Umpires who had an opportunity to work with you we want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU FRENS!!!  We look forward to seeing you on the water “relaxing”