By DAVID NAGEL
AS A young girl growing up, Kim Ivett never imagined that wearing white-cotton gloves would be her ticket to the world stage.
The Hallam schoolgirl was into everything as a kid, athletics, tennis, basketball, netball, swimming, and even outdoor cricket – but it’s been the sport of snooker that has taken her to faraway places and provided her with the greatest experiences of her life.
Inspired by her dad, John, who has shared with her some of those great experiences, Kim set out on a journey in 2007 to become a qualified snooker referee.
Well, it’s fair to say, the journey has been a success, with Kim ticking off the latest in a long-list of achievements by officiating at the Australian Goldfields Open, held in Bendigo earlier this month.
So how did this journey begin?
“Dad’s been refereeing for more than 30 years, and I just followed him around at the start and I really enjoyed the environment,” Kim said.
“The game of snooker just grew on me, and I was intrigued with the role of referee and wanted to get involved further.”
Kim didn’t have to look too far for advice, with John one of the most experienced and respected officiators of the game in the country. But he is also an examiner, and was the first person to assess his daughter for her ascension to a Class-3 referee in April 2008.
“I was so nervous, because Dad was one of the examiners and quite strict, with me being his daughter,” Kim, currently the only qualified female snooker and billiards referee in Victoria, said.
“I just love the environment; it’s a quite mature, professional environment and I have the best seat in the house. The atmosphere of a big final is amazing, the adrenalin flows, and there’s a huge sense of achievement at the end.”
Kim would know, having taken charge of the final match in some of the biggest tournaments in the land.
She has been to Sydney for the Australia Open Snooker, to Adelaide, Albury, and has major finals like the City of Melbourne and Australian Nationals under her belt.
But it’s her overseas travels, which started with the Oceania Championships in Auckland in 2011, which has seen her rise to prominence in the world of snooker.
In November 2013, she officiated at her first professional world snooker event in the Belgium city of Antwerp, alongside some of the world’s best like Olivier Marteel and Jan Verhaas, who have officiated on the biggest stage, the World Snooker Championship Final at The Crucible in London.
On that trip, Kim refereed the final of the European Amateur Championships, being introduced into the arena alongside great names of the sport like Ronnie O’Sullivan and current world number one Mark Selby.
“That was my stepping stone, it was a 33-hour flight for a just a weekend event, but I wanted to take the challenge on,” Kim said.
“To experience that crowd of 5000 people was just an incredible experience to be a part of.”
And in May this year, Kim refereed at the coveted Q-School in the UK, where she was assessed for her performances in a tournament where some of brightest young players in the world battle for their tour-cards.
But the real highlight for both John and Kim came in November last year in India, when they became the first father and daughter combination to referee at the IBSF World Championships.
“My career has spanned many years, but clearly the highlight was working together with Kim at those world championships,” John said.
“It will remain a wonderful memory, especially considering we created history being the first father and daughter to referee at that level. As a father and long-time official, I’m extremely proud of what Kim has been able to achieve.”
Kim said she owed a lot to her dad who, along with the first-ever female professional referee, Michaela Tabb, has been her driving force to succeed.
“Dad is still is my biggest inspiration and role model; I couldn’t have achieved what I have without his support and encouragement and Michaela set the scene and showed that women can play an important role as a snooker official,” she said.
“It was a privilege and special moment to share that experience in India with Dad.”
Kim hopes her next big assignment will be this year’s IBSF World Championships in Egypt in November.
