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I've spoken to a number of colleagues and have put their thoughts, along with mine, into this article.

Prior to going on court you might want to find some space to yourself (but remember to leave plenty of time to get back!). Use this time productively to go through things in your mind, settle and calm, rather than wind yourself up over the enormity of it all:

• Practice their names, and then practice them again and again! Practice the announcement. You might want to spend some time going through these and you might want to practise out loud.
• Put a face to a name - if its doubles you only need to recognise one person on each side. Knowing their first name might help diffuse a difficult situation on court.
• Try to shake the hands before you go out on court, if nothing else it will help with the name association.
• Make sure that you're ready, that you have your stopwatch, the match sheet, pens etc. You might also want to check that they all work - your pen will stop at some time, the last thing you want to find out it that the replacement doesn't work either.
• Make sure that your fluid intake is correct - it's important to get the balance right between remaining well hydrated (and therefore alert) and taking in too much and suffering the discomfort in a long match.
• Be prepared for all the things that could go wrong during the various stages of the match, and work out how you will deal with each one.
• Check that all your team (serve judge, line judges, moppers etc) is present, then recount, checking that you have the right number of each. Chat with them to establish a rapport with them - they may also be nervous and you need them working for you, especially as there will be times when you are reliant upon them. You might want them to know that you will be managing awkward situations on their behalf e.g. if a player starts to get stroppy about a line call.

Take some deep breaths

When you're called on court make sure you have your whole team behind you and that you’re walking at an appropriate speed. Something else to remember is to 'smile'. Presentation we know is a really important part of the game and there is nothing worse than a sombre and nervous umpire appearing on court. The scene for the match can be set by your demeanour as you enter the court or indeed line up with players and line judges behind the scenes.

Once you are there, try to have a look round the playing area, check everything you need is in the right place, note where the line judges will be seated, where the moppers chairs are, where the scorers will be, and undertake some basic risk management - check for hazards such as cables, uneven carpets. You are in charge of the match and have a duty of care over the players and your team. Although you are insured for this it is better that you identify any hazard and these are resolved not only at the start of the game but for every second you are in charge.

Once the players have arrived, and before you do the 'toss' try to check that the players are complying with the clothing regulations. This will allow you to talk to them face to face rather from the chair, when the game is about to start. Also re-check that you have the right face to go with the right name, and if you have not had the opportunity to do this before coming onto court, start now.

Once in your chair, check that your line judges, moppers etc have all arrived in the right place, and that you have eye contact with them. Then start to visualise how your announcement will sound whilst keeping an eye on the clock, the players, your team and your service judge.

Once you've called 'time', take a few moments to breathe, deeply, and once you, your team and your players are ready, start your announcement.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the contributions from Phil James, Val Andrews, Elaine Senior, Jane Hancock and David Pegg.