In May 2024, I took on a new role as an umpire at Box Hill Indoor Sports. It was quite different from what I had been doing over the past year in Australia, but with the cricket season wrapping up in March, indoor cricket was in full swing.
As an international student in my final year of a Master’s in Business Analytics with a specialization in Marketing Analytics and AI, balancing work and studies has been a challenge. My focus is fully on my studies, but when the opportunity to work at Box Hill Indoor Sports came up, I couldn’t pass it up. My reason for joining was simple: I wanted to understand the business model of indoor cricket.
I found the answer to my question: “If I want to set up an indoor sports structure, what does it take, and how does it work?”
Working as an umpire has been a rewarding part-time gig that allows me to stay connected with my passion for cricket, even during the off-season. The staff at Box Hill have been incredibly supportive, and through umpiring, I gained a new perspective on the game.
We often focus solely on the players, but umpiring is no easy job. The number of decisions and calls you have to make in real-time is a tough task, and it gave me a greater appreciation for the role. It’s a challenge, but one worth trying.
Learning is key, and this experience has shown me even more facets of the game than I could have imagined.