Bermuda's hockey players may not have made it to the Pan American Games but the Island could still be represented in the final.

That is because Island umpire Emma Simmons will be officiating in the Dominican Republic next month.

For the 35-year-old from Smiths the Games will represent the highlight of her time in the middle.

She was chosen to take part following fine performances, including the final, at the CAC Games in Puerto Rico last year.

"This is the biggest tournament I have been appointed to as yet," said Simmons, who with her husband owns Monty's Restaurant on Pitt's Bay Road. "It's exciting yet scary. But there is nothing better than coming off the field having had a good game - there's no feeling like it."

It has not been decided whether the Pan Am matches will be played during the day or night yet - but Simmons is hoping it's the latter.

"Apparently, there's no confirmation that there's lights at the hockey field right now," she said. "And if there aren't it means daytime matches and that's going to be very hot. It was 91 degrees there yesterday."

In Puerto Rico a water break was instituted for the first time to counteract the effects of the heat and hopefully the same thing ruling will be brought in Santo Domingo.

"Apart from that break we are on the field for the whole time and we have to be moving," Simmons said, stressing the need for her to be at the top of her fitness. "The speed of the game today is tremendous. We have to be as fit as the players - if not I let the players down, I let myself down and I can't stay with the game."

As a result Simmons has been taking part in a strict training regime.

"There is an international handbook and it goes into great detail about preparing for a tournament, physically, mentally, you name it," she said. "Basically, I have to do it myself because there is no one here locally that has done it before. I have no one to really guide me.

"I wouldn't say I am the best person at being fit - I hate running. But the book has some great exercises in it that are specifically for helping an umpire with what is required of them on the field. It is not just running around track or down the road - it's changing direction or changing speed, things like that."

Simmons said if anything umpires expended more energy during a game than the players.

"We are on there full time," she said. "Players can roll on and off. Substitutions are free now - there are five extra people on the bench and they can roll on and off as they please."

As for her refereeing manner, Simmons likes to let the game flow wherever possible.

"I have been told I am quite calm," she said. "I don't antagonise any situation. I will try and give players the benefit of the doubt - I don't jump to my cards.

"If a game gets to the point where I am having to card a player I often think 'Well, what could I have done to prevent that in the first place'. Just because you have a whistle doesn't mean to say you can't talk to players."

And the language barrier? Simmons said it should not be too much of a problem at the Pan Ams.

"The only other language we are really faced with is Spanish," she said. "And a lot of the Spanish players know English and I know a bit of Spanish. I have never really found it a problem."

If all goes well, Simmons hope to progress even further in her officiating.

"The next move up for me is to get to Grade One level - I have got the initial international outdoor level," she said. "If I got that it is possible for me to be appointed to tournaments that are not in this region - European, Asian wherever."

As an official Simmons has less restrictions than players when it comes to where she can represent the Island and she has ambitions to go to the very top.

"If I was a player I would be restricted to how well my team does," she said. "I am on my own. I have no one really holding me back but myself. If I do well I get recommended to go up a level in my standings and I go on from there. So who knows?"