Leighton Levy, STAR Writer

For Priscilla Thomas, the junior netball umpire who left the island along with the Jamaican under-16 netballers for Birmingham, England yesterday, the trip is all about getting experience.

The 16-year-old fourth former of The Queen's School will make history as the first ever junior umpire from Jamaica to officiate in a game overseas, and it is proving to be a little daunting for the shy teen.

"I'm a bit timid but I am sure I will surely overcome it," she said at the brunch to send the netball team off to Birmingham on Sunday. "It's actually my first time umpiring in such a big tournament so I'm trying to go out there to do my best."

Prior to this major assignment, Thomas officiated in games involving the national squads including national under-16 matches and the Sunshine Girls in the Jamaica Netball Associ-ation's island-wide star search.

She reveals that there are parts of her officiating that she will be looking to improve upon during the short tour of the UK.

"I need to gain more experience and to improve when it comes to my position on the backline and how to get over this nervousness," she said smiling.

Thomas was selected from a group of seven who were a cut above a number of other junior umpires who sat the umpires' examination about a year ago. In the ensuing year, she and the other trainees were selected to umpire matches to determine how well their theoretical skills translated to practical application.

According to Donovan Vincent, who oversees the training of the junior umpires, Thomas was selected to go on tour with the under-16 team because "she was very assertive, her interpretation and her disposition made her stand out among the other standouts." He said she was not intimidated even when umpiring games that involved the senior netballers.

With those experiences behind her, Thomas believes the experience is what will make her that much better.

"It has been a great experience so far," she said. "So now I am looking forward to gain the experience."