Tsawwassen’s Alan Waterman’s illustrious international field hockey officiating career is ending after 43 years.
And what a close it is. He is currently in Auckland, New Zealand, where he is serving as the umpires’ manager at the 2024 World Masters Hockey World Cup.
Like his role in 2022 at the Masters World Cup in Tokyo, Japan, Waterman runs the on-field officials for the tournament.
Waterman has represented Canada as an umpire for 17 years, overseeing matches in the Olympics (Barcelona ’92), World Cup (Sydney ’94) and numerous Champions Trophies, among other tournaments.
“When I retired from umpiring, I became an international umpires manager,” he said. “I have been doing that for 23 years, including the Pan Games and various other tourneys.
“This year, I turn 65, which means I must retire from field appointments from the FIH (International Hockey Federation) by the end of the year, although I will likely continue in administrative roles.
“My FIH swan song was this past June - the Pan Am Junior Championships - which, by chance, was in Surrey. This was the first time running an international at home and only the second appointment I’d ever had in Canada.” In response to taking on all these duties, he was inducted into Canada’s Field Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019.
“Now, I carry on my role with masters. I joke that they will at least take me as long as I can still walk,” he said.
Waterman will likely get a chance to rub shoulders with a couple of other people from Tsawwassen at the World Cup as both Corrie Guraliuk and Landon Kitagawa will represent Canada again as players in their age/gender groups. All three came up through the Falcons Field Hockey Club started by Jurgen Lankau, in Tsawwassen, in 1968.
“Hockey has been part of my life since I was just eight years old, coming up through the junior program in Tsawwassen, to provincial teams that triumphed in national championships,” he said.
“My love of officiating came from my dad, who was a soccer referee in juvenile soccer and the men’s Pacific Coast League. My first go in an official’s uniform was running sidelines for my dad. When my job in broadcasting took precedence over my hockey-playing career, I switched completely to umpiring. Within three years (1981) I was an international.
“Since then, the hockey community has been my extended family.
“The umpires especially have a close bond, bridging cultures and languages. Even here, in Auckland, for the World Masters, I’m meeting up with friends from countries all over the world I have known for more than 40 years. We’ve been through a lot together and so we remain close,” he said.
“The expression in the sport is hockey is for life. And for me, that’s been the case and always will be.”
