KOROIT'S Jason Groves found a unique remedy for his clinical
depression - football umpiring.
You would think just about the last thing someone suffering from
depression would want to do is get abused by a football crowd every
weekend but Groves, 27, is thriving after taking up his new
hobby.
Such is his passion that the 27-year-old is now compiling
material to write a book about country umpires.
The goal umpire joined the Hampden umpires' panel this season
and officiated in the junior league under 16s grand final last
Sunday between Warrnambool and Terang Mortlake.
Groves said there was more to goal umpiring than he initially
thought, but he now has his technique finetuned.
"I had a few problems to start with, made a few minor mistakes
but I've ironed them out and things are under control," he
said.
"I'd been looking at being an umpire for a while but I've been
suffering from depression. When I saw the ad in The
Standard earlier this year I decided to get involved."
Groves said exercise and meeting people was what attracted him
to umpiring.
"When I told umpire adviser Norm Gibson that I had depression
and wanted to become an umpire he thought that was really funny ...
he thought it was a great joke," he said.
"But it's been excellent. Everyone has welcomed me," he
said.
Gibson said Groves and another new umpire Susan Haas had come on
board this year and been excellent additions to the panel.
"They come to training. Jason is there every Wednesday night,"
he said. "Because we've got senior goal umpires we've used them as
interchange stewards and reserves umpires and then Jason got a game
in the under 16s grand final.
"Jason is always at training each week and at our social
functions. It's all worked out really well," he said.
