6 quick questions to Nick Heckford - International Referee.
Find out more about Nick Heckford -Delivery lead for Refereeing
Nick qualified as a Volleyball referee in 2001, since then he has refereed at every level and has had over 130 international matches under his belt.
He refereed in 2009 CEV Youth European Championships, 2011 - 2014 CEV Champions League 2011, FIVB Women's Junior World Championships , 2011 CEV Men's European Championship Finals, 2013 CEV Men's European Championship, 2014 FIVB World League and the 2014 CEV Men's European League.
1. How were you first introduced to Volleyball?
I got into volleyball when I met my wife, who played recreational volleyball. Before then I had not had any contact with the sport. So I was a late starter at the age of 31 and quickly converted.
2. What was the most difficult skill to master on court?
Frankly, all of them. I was a poor middle, more enthusiasm than execution.
3. What makes you most proud of our Volleyball Family?
The way in which so many love the sport and give so much of their time volunteering to get the game on.
4. What was your greatest Volleyball achievement?
I consider myself to be incredibly lucky to have been given the opportunity by Volleyball England and the Referee Commission to develop as a referee and become an International referee. I have refereed in 3 World Championships and the Volleyball Nations League and its predecessor the World League and Grand Prix. I have over refereed over 200 international matches of which 64 have been for the FIVB in World Competition. A few individual matches stand out - my first VE National Cup Final in 2004 and as 1st Referee in 2007; refereeing Italy v Russia is the Semi-final of the 2019 U21 Men's World Championship, and also from last year USA v Japan in the Women's VNL in Ruse, Bulgaria.
5. What are you missing most during the lockdown?
I am missing volleyball, of course. On April 7th I should have refereed the Men's CEV Cup Final in Russia and this week I should have been in Latvia for CEV. This weekend would have been National Cup Finals and it would have given me much pleasure to see the referees that we had selected for the National Finals demonstrating why they so deserved their nominations. I miss catching up with the VE Referees and talking volleyball.
6. What are you looking forward to most once the lockdown is over?
Hopefully, working out how we are going to have a Referee Conference over Zoom! I think we have experienced different ways to communicate and one of the key challenges will be how we use this to improve overall communication to all referees, National League and in the recreational game. I am also looking forward to a return to the NVL, in whatever format that might be.
Thanks Nick - who will be next?
