Get to Know: Official May Bhetraratana

Q: When did you become an official? 

A: I was certified in 2022 but didn't have my first officiating gig until April 2023.

Q: What influenced you to become an official? 

A: I first started playing tennis around age 10-11, and that's when I also became a huge fan of watching the major tournaments on television. I remember times when I would wake up very early just to catch the Wimbledon finals live. I've always wanted to know what it would be like to be at a Grand Slam, and taking the steps to become an official had been in the back of my mind for a long time. I finally started taking some of the online officiating courses when I was in graduate school, because I wanted a (productive) distraction from working on my dissertation. However, once I graduated and started working at my first big job, I ended up pausing on finishing up my officiating certification. But then a few years later, the Covid pandemic hit and I was working remotely, so I decided to finally finish up the online officiating courses and other requirements to become an official. It was about time!

Q: What umpire roles have you worked (i.e. roving umpire, chair umpire, line umpire, referee, ITA, chief umpire)? 

A: Roving, chair, line, and ITA

Q: Which is your favorite umpire role and why? 

A: Line umpiring is my favorite by far. I just wish I had started officiating earlier to have been able to do more lines before it's all replaced by technology. But anyway, I really like line umpiring because it's a very focused and yet thrilling role. (Nothing is quite like the feeling you get when you realize you've just dodged a really fast serve and still made a perfect in/out call down the center service line.) Compared to other umpiring roles, I feel like I can also better gauge my progress as a lines umpire. Plus, it helped to have gotten training and tips from the legendary John Wong; his passion for lines is infectious. Line umpiring has also allowed me to meet many people from across the country, and that has been a bonus.

Q: What is your most memorable moment in officiating? 

A: That would be my shadowing days with Craig Pasqua at a junior tournament in San Jose. The first day was very chill, but then finals day was when I really saw just how important it is to have good officiating and also deescalating skills. (And actually, that incident at that tournament has been brought up a few times at NorCal officiating meetings as an example of how to deal with behavior that led to multiple suspension points.) I remember coming home after that shadowing day, and I asked myself, "Do I really want to be an official and deal with things like that?" And in fact, I've actually asked myself that multiple times since then, after experiencing my own difficult officiating situations first-hand. For me, the benefits I get from officiating outweigh any of those hard moments. I want to be a better official, and so I view everything as opportunities to learn and grow.

Q: What is a fun fact that most officials do not know about you? 

A: I have a younger sister who also plays tennis and pickleball. She lives in New Zealand now and has done some pickleball officiating and tennis tournament volunteering down there. Serving the racket sports communities runs in our family!

Q: What do you like most about officiating? 

A: I really like the people who are a part of the officiating community, especially here in NorCal. Everyone is very supportive of each other's growth. When I'm working USTA tournaments or ITA matches, I find it comfortable to debrief with other NorCal officials about how to handle officiating scenarios, and so I'm constantly learning. I feel very much part of a team when I'm working anywhere in NorCal.

Q: What do you find to be most rewarding about being a tennis official? 

A: For me, it's an accumulation of a bunch of little positive moments. For instance, I feel very fulfilled when I have been able to educate a player or a spectator on a particular rule. I also feel fulfilled even when I've set up the courts before a tournament  (measured the nets, moved benches to their appropriate positions, cleared any stray balls, etc.) and ensured that the courts are in the best condition possible for the players. Having players and spectators say hi or a thank you also makes me feel good. It's those little moments that show that officials make a difference that are most rewarding to me.

Q: What advice do you have for new officials? 

A: Don't just stop "shadowing" after your mandatory shadow day/weekend. Continue to watch other officials and take notes of how the best ones perform at their officiating duties. Keep a little notebook handy to take notes, even of handy phrases to use when explaining officiating decisions to players (I learned this from one of NorCal's great chair umpires, Kevin Ware).