Miriam Bley on becoming first female German umpire to attain gold badge status: "I don’t think I’m anything very special. I’m still the same person that I was 15 years ago"

Miriam Bley is seen as a trailblazer in the world of umpiring with the German becoming the first female from her country to attain the coveted gold badge status.

Bley spoke recently to the WTA about the road to becoming an umpire and how like many it began with playing and turned into a different route from there.

“I started playing when I was three years old and basically grew up on a tennis court,” she said.

“As a small child, I was always out and about. I loved drawing on the street with chalk; climbing our tree house; riding down the hill on a skateboard, inline skating or playing street hockey. My parents played tennis, so it was natural for me to start playing as well.

“I played competitive tennis as a child and teenager, played many league matches, and also played one year in the national second division. I tried other sports like athletics, basketball and gymnastics, and I studied physical education and English for a teaching degree at university; but tennis has always been there and stayed.”

“I never wanted to be a tennis coach. I did some summer camps while I was in university; or filled in a couple of times at the club where I played when someone got sick. When I did the lowest level of coaching license, they recommended me for the next one; but I said no. It was more to have something on paper that I was qualified to do these summer camps.”

Beginning of career and road to gold badge status

Bley also discussed her beginnings as an umpire admitting she never thought she'd get that far; as well as that she hopes to inspire other women that the route is there for them.

“The first match I ever chair umpired was the semifinal of the district championships in my city on clay. It was August of 2005, and I had zero idea what was happening. I had never checked marks before. I had to do that, I had to call the score, I had to call all the lines.

“I chaired one match on clay in my city’s district championships, and nothing happened for months,” she continued, “but in January of 2006, Norbert Peick had just retired as a Grand Slam supervisor, and he introduced a junior [officiating development] group in my state.

“He approached me and asked if I wanted to take a course, or be a part of this Bavarian junior group. So I thought, ‘Why not?’ It all went pretty fast after this.

“I never thought I would ever get a gold badge,” she said. “I’m quite self-critical so I was never expecting that, but now that I got it, it makes me extremely proud.

“It’s difficult to explain because it makes me special in a way, but I don’t think I’m anything very special. I’m still the same person that I was 15 years ago.

“I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, and I’m grateful that I’ve had these opportunities… I’m hoping that with this, other people, other women, will pursue this career as well,” she said.

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