Veteran Shoalhaven Netball Association umpire Teena Hobden is set to take her lifelong passion for netball to the global stage, after an extraordinary 54-year journey on the whistle.
At 71, Hobden will soon travel to India in 2026 as part of an international program with Beyond Borders and the Here If You Need Foundation, where she will deliver umpiring education and sport-based sessions for girls aged eight to 16.
A nurse by profession, Hobden’s commitment to netball began as a teenager and flourished into a decades-long career officiating community and representative games across New South Wales. She has umpired at local carnivals, inter-district competitions and Junior and Senior State Titles, earning the respect of players, coaches and fellow officials statewide.
“When I was asked to go, I sat on it for a few days,” Hobden said.
“But then I thought, you’re not going to know if you don’t go. It might be an opportunity you never get again.”
The international program aims to use sport as a vehicle to build confidence, autonomy and essential life skills in young people from emerging nations. In India, Hobden will support both netball and AFL-style sessions, with a focus on introducing basic umpiring skills and inspiring young girls to embrace leadership opportunities within sport.
“Sport gives you so much more than just playing a game,” Hobden said.
“It builds confidence, self-discipline and self-belief. If we can inspire even one girl, that would be a blessing.”
Hobden’s invitation came from Here If You Need Foundation founder Annemarie Brown, who recognised Hobden’s unique combination of umpiring experience and dedication to empowering girls.
Although she recently stepped away from physical umpiring, Hobden remains deeply involved in the sport as a mentor to junior umpires across the Shoalhaven and the Far South Coast, helping guide the next generation through the pathway she knows so well.
Central to her journey has been the support of the Shoalhaven Netball Association, which Hobden credits with nurturing her umpiring aspirations and backing her ambitions throughout her career.
Netball has been more than a sport for Hobden — it has been community and continuity through life’s challenges. “Netball has been my family,” she said, reflecting on the support it provided following the loss of her husband in 2013.
As she prepares for her overseas mission, Hobden hopes to share not only her knowledge of netball but also the sense of belonging and self-belief the sport has given her.
“Where one door closes, another one opens,” she said.
Her journey from local courts in NSW to mentoring young athletes abroad stands as a testament to the enduring impact volunteers and officials have on sport and community alike.
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