Teen becomes first nationally accredited netball umpire in a wheelchair
In short:
Brodie Taylor is the first netball umpire in Australia to earn nationally recognised accreditation in a wheelchair.
The 18-year-old was spotted earlier this year by an official at a school event, and passed his C-badge assessment "with flying colours".
What's next?
Netball NSW says more umpires with a disability could follow suit.
Brodie Taylor, 18, is a regular fixture at netball matches on the Victorian-New South Wales border.
The Lavington teen umpires for the social competitions, and for the competitive Hume League.
While that is completely normal for him and those around him, it is also remarkable — because he is the first netball umpire in the country to gain national accreditation in a wheelchair.
"Honestly it was never something that I thought I would have wanted, and didn't think umpiring was going to be that serious," he said.
"But all the great umpires around me have their badges, and I thought that is one step closer for me having a purpose in the sport."
Brodie Taylor is a badged netball umpire and premiership coach. (ABC News: Alice Walker)
No longer a spectator
Growing up, it was challenging for Brodie to find a sport he could participate in.
While his siblings were playing various codes, he would sit on the sidelines of netball matches with his mother.
Before long, the sport had him hooked, and he followed her into coaching and umpiring.
Brodie has been in a wheelchair all his life after suffering transverse myeltis as a baby. (ABC News: Alice Walker)
He said he now enjoyed "having control over the games".
"It [umpiring] can really dictate the way the game is played, and also produces fairness for everyone on the court."
Loading...But things took a turn when he was spotted, umpiring, by Netball NSW Riverina regional manager Amanda McLachlan.
"I was just gobsmacked by him,"she said.
"He was keeping up with the play, he knew the rules really well, his rapport with the players and his communication on the court was fantastic."
Amanda McLachlan says working with Brodie has changed her perspective on disability. (ABC News: Alice Walker)
His mother, Del Taylor, was "shocked" and "excited" to hear Netball NSW had scouted him for accreditation.
"I said to Brodie this will open a lot of doors for him," she said.
"He's watching all his peers and his siblings all go and get jobs, and so with opening up the umpiring it also gave him a leeway to … earn some extra money by doing something that he loves."
Del and Brodie Taylor now hope to umpire a game together. (ABC News: Alice Walker)
A 'natural find'
Ms McLachlan had never seen a wheelchair-using umpire before, and said Brodie challenged the organisation's preconceptions.
"I think the biggest obstacle and one that was initially a slight concern was the movement of the chair and whether that would interrupt the players on the court," she said.
"Brodie proved us all wrong in that case."
Brodie umpires at a social competition in Wodonga. (ABC News: Alice Walker)
Netball Australia has four levels of umpire accreditation — from badge C up to elite level AA.
Ms McLachlan said, while Brodie positions himself a little differently from able-bodied umpires to allow for fast transitions in his motorised wheelchair, no criteria needed to be altered for him to pass his C-badge with flying colours.
"We're really lucky with Brodie because he already had some really good umpiring skills and he's just a natural find."
Brodie Taylor says umpiring had also helped his coaching by improving his knowledge of the game. (ABC News: Alice Walker)
Breaking barriers
Brodie had no idea he was smashing the disability glass ceiling in getting his netball umpiring badge.
"But when I found out I was like — that is pretty darn cool."
Ms McLachlan said she had since been contacted by other state netball organisations seeking advice on supporting umpires with disability in their leagues.
"I think it's just having an open mind that it can look different, and it's OK to look different as well."
Brodie views the opposite goal from the centre circle to be ready for a fast turnover. (ABC News: Alice Walker)
Brodie has just completed his Year 12 exams and is now focused on his next goal — to study politics at university in Melbourne.
"My biggest passion is to make this world more understanding around disabilities, where it's not a question, it's just the norm," he said.
"But there's always going to be netball in my heart … and I would still love to further my career in netball."