Island hockey player Emma Simmons is flying the flag for Bermuda overseas.

But Simmons, an attacker for the Canaries team, is not in contention for trophies or medals -- instead her concern is the keeping of scores and ensuring the game is played in the spirit it is intended.

For Simmons is the Island's only international outdoor umpire.

General manager of Monty's restaurant, Simmons has been playing the game for 12 years and umpiring for close to eight.

She recently attained her international badge and has officiated at a number of overseas tournaments.

"While I was umpiring locally a gentleman came to the Island from the States.

He came for a seminar and also viewed some of the games and I happened to umpire two of them,'' she said.

"He basically made recommendations before he left to the local association to say these people would be able to pursue umpiring overseas. There were two names put forward and I was one of them.'' However, Simmons' business commitments meant she should could not immediately follow her chosen path.

"That was three years ago and Monty's restaurant was just about to get off the ground and I couldn't pursue it then,'' she said.

"The business became established and earlier this year the Junior Pan-Am Games came up in Barbados and I was invited to go and the Bermuda Hockey Federation agreed to fund me.'' "Basically the minimum requirement to get your international badge is to do three international games,'' Simmons said. "I was lucky enough to do four games in the one tournament, so having left there I was able to apply for my badge which I did over the summer.'' Simmons recently received notification from the FIH, hockey's governing body, that she had attained the necessary standard and last month officiated at the Pan American Club Championships in Trinidad.

She said officiating overseas was much different than in Bermuda.

"We are still playing on grass here. We are probably one of the few nations that consider playing on it,'' she said.

"Internationally and even back in England the local clubs, everyone has turf pitches. Obviously that's a problem here.

"It makes the game very different. Just the speed of the play and the ease with which the ball travels on the turf pitch versus here on grass is different.

"Also the grass field out here is not regulation size, it's shorter in length and slightly wider than standard -- totally the wrong size. "So as soon as I step out onto an international field, before I even blow a whistle I'm like "Oh wow'' everything is so different.'' Simmons believes playing the game is a definite advantage when it comes to officiating.

"There are some umpires who have never played and there was a general consensus when I was chatting with others in Trinidad that there is a definite advantage to having been a player,'' she said.

"There are certain things a player does and knows they can possibly get away with. When I am an umpire you can't see things as clearly as you do when you are right on the ball with the stick, so being a player definitely helps.

"A lot of it is anticipating the play. You have to be in the right position at the right time. If you can anticipate the play you are a step ahead.

"I often think things like `This is where the left wing should be, where are they?' and things like that. It's an advantage.'' Simmons says she is proud to be representing the Island when she travels overseas in her official capacity.

"I enjoy being a good ambassador for the Island,'' she said.

"When you go to a tournament, even though you are not part of the playing team, you become part of the umpiring team.

"You are one body and you have to be productive and supportive on and off the field. I've always had good reports from the powers that be.'' Simmons said she was glad she was a hockey referee and not a football referee -- especially in Bermuda.

"You have to have a thick skin to a certain degree but also you have to have a threshhold where you won't accept certain behaviour,'' she said.

"All this stuff about the football referees -- what they go through is just incredible. Luckily I don't have anything like that to deal with.'' Emma Simmons: Bermuda's only international hockey umpire.