MCALLEN, USA — If one had the chance to have watched the opening Concacaf Women’s Championship Group A game between Panama and Trinidad and Tobago in Cary, North Carolina, it would have been noticed that there were three Jamaican officials.

Although it may not have been the first time Jamaica has had three officials call a female game, one could not help but beam with a sense of pride seeing Princess Brown, Stephanie-Dale Yee Sing and Odette Hamilton standing in the middle during the playing of the team’s anthems.

Playing a role in the Concacaf Women’s Championship, which serves as qualifier for the Fifa Women’s World Cup, might not have been new for assistant referees Yee Sing and Brown, but for Hamilton — the woman in the middle — it was exactly that.

Hamilton had a fairly good outing, issuing three yellow cards in that encounter which ended 3-0 in favour of Panama at Sahlen’s Stadium.

“It is my first huge tournament and it is an honour to be invited and also have two of my compatriots with me. The feeling is overwhelming because as a referee your charisma and personality will help you to be an effective match official and that has taken me a long way in my career.

“I am very grateful and happy for the experience that am getting here. As a referee, I always say the right attitude will determine your altitude, and this altitude is achieved by my attitude and performance because excellence is the aim in everything I do,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Hamilton, who last year joined Cardella Samuels, Stacy-Ann Greyson, Brown and Yee Sing on the growing list of Fifa-appointed officials locally, had always endeavoured to achieve the feat when she embarked on her journey at age 16.

She has now honed her skills and earned the respect of colleagues and those in the footballing circle, since she was officially introduced as a referee in 2010, and last Wednesday’s game was another big part of her journey towards more success.

“It has not been an easy journey; it is very hard, but at the end of it all, you will smile and beam with joy when you achieve your goal. So whether rain or shine, you have to train to maintain your fitness because football is played right throughout the year, and as a Fifa referee, you have to be prepared because at any given time you can receive a call or email to travel or even to do a fitness test,” Hamilton shared.

“So for me to maintain a high standard I have to keep focused and consistent, I have to train, watch games, analyse video clips and so on. But to achieve your goal it takes a lot of hard work, dedication and determination and I just want to thank my instructors, colleagues, family and friends for their positive input that assisted in my development,” she added.

With this experience, Hamilton, 26, who was the only Jamaican official nominated among the Confederation’s best for Female Referee of the Year in 2017, is now aiming for new goals and targets.

“I am here to learn as much as I can from this tournament, do my best and continue to perform as consistently as I possibly can. I am always aiming for the top and this is another step in the right direction for me.

“So I want to thank the Lord for his guidance throughout this journey thus far… this is a huge success for me overall and motivation for me to work even harder going forward,” said Hamilton, the Tacius Golding and GC Foster College alumna.

Hamilton’s biggest assignment prior, came when she took charge of the CAC Games final between Costa Rica and Mexico recently.

— Sherdon Cowan