Declan Draper
Declan Draper
Hi, I'm Declan Draper. I am a 16-year-old netball umpire from Melbourne, Australia, and have been umpiring for 4 years now.
Current Campaigns
ABOUT Declan Draper
I am pleased to share that I have been selected to represent Team Vic as an umpire official at the U/12 Netball School Sports Australia Nationals Competition in Ballarat in October 2025. It is an exciting opportunity to umpire Australia's best emerging athletes. This opportunity will allow for me to work towards my Netball Australia B Badge Umpire Accreditation and is an exciting step forward in my umpiring journey.
This school sports competition is essentially a mini Olympic Games, with many sports played in Ballarat over the week. A competition like this doesn't come cheaply, I am reaching out to my community to help cover costs such as uniform, accommodation, and travel, and enable me this unique opportunity.
My Past:
I began my umpiring journey at 12-years-old, when I aged out from my association. I pursued many opportunities, which led to me being one of 42 umpires Talent Identified across Victoria in 2024, at the State Association Championships. This allowed me to be part of the 2024-25 Netball Victoria Talent Academy Umpire Program, where I umpired the U/17s Netball Victoria Girl's Talent Academy.
Previously, I was fortunate enough to be selected as an umpire official for the U/12 Netball School Sport Australia Nationals Competition in September 2024, allowing me to see what was really possible and the level of umpiring that I should strive for.
How You Can Help
Every donation, whether big or small, will make a real difference, helping me on my journey to become the best umpire I can possibly be.