{{short description|Trinidadian field hockey player and umpire}} {{Infobox person | name = Ayanna McClean | image = | caption = | birth_place = Belmont, Port of Spain | alma_mater = Hofstra University | known_for = Field hockey umpire }} '''Ayanna McClean''' is a hockey umpire from Trinidad and Tobago and former defender for the Trinidad and Tobago women's national field hockey team. She is the second person from the Caribbean to be qualified to umpire at a World Cup or Olympic tournament, after Roger St Rose, and the first woman.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.fih.ch/news/ayanna-is-the-real-thing/|title=Ayanna is The Real Thing {{!}} FIH|website=www.fih.ch|access-date=2019-02-24}}</ref> She is the daughter of Cherril Franco, who was the first woman from Trinidad and Tobago to become an FIH Grade One umpire.<ref name="tobagotoday.co.tt">{{Cite web|url=http://www.tobagotoday.co.tt/sports/2017-12-20/mcclean-officiate-women%E2%80%99s-world-cup|title=McClean to officiate at Women's World Cup|date=2017-12-20|website=The Trinidad Guardian Newspaper|access-date=2019-02-24|archive-date=2019-07-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713161619/http://www.tobagotoday.co.tt/sports/2017-12-20/mcclean-officiate-women%25E2%2580%2599s-world-cup|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Playing career == McClean started playing hockey when she was 11.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com//english/2017-08/27/c_136559778.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190225103006/http://www.xinhuanet.com//english/2017-08/27/c_136559778.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 25, 2019|title=Foreign faces take spotlight at Chinese National Games - Xinhua {{!}} English.news.cn|website=www.xinhuanet.com|access-date=2019-02-24}}</ref> McClean was previously a member of the Ventures Hockey Club and she captained both her school team at South-East Port-of-Spain and the under-21 Ventures team.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.panamhockey.org/en/news-177-t-t-umpire-ayanna-mcclean-promoted-to-fih|title=T&T Umpire Ayanna McClean promoted to FIH Promising List|website=Pan American Hockey Federation|language=en|access-date=2019-02-24|archive-date=2019-07-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713161610/http://www.panamhockey.org/en/news-177-t-t-umpire-ayanna-mcclean-promoted-to-fih|url-status=dead}}</ref> She received a hockey scholarship to attend Hofstra University in Long Island, New York in 2004, and later captained hockey team at Hofstra as well.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www4.guardian.co.tt/sports-lead/2017-08-24/mcclean-takes-over-from-mom|title=McClean takes over from mom|website=Guardian Trinidad and Tobago|access-date=2019-02-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826175439/http://www.guardian.co.tt/sports-lead/2017-08-24/mcclean-takes-over-from-mom|archive-date=2017-08-26|url-status=dead}}</ref> She was a member of the under-21 Trinidad and Tobago training squad.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.panamhockey.org/en/news-383-ayanna-mcclean-s-success-story|title=Ayanna McClean's success story|last1=Games|first1=2011 Pan American|last2=Hudson|first2=Guadalajara-Match Mexico vs CubaUmpires Kelly|website=Pan American Hockey Federation|language=en|access-date=2019-02-24|last3=McClean|first3=Ayanna|archive-date=2019-07-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713161611/http://www.panamhockey.org/en/news-383-ayanna-mcclean-s-success-story|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gohofstra.com/news/2004/3/12/HOFSTRA_FIELD_HOCKEY_ANNOUNCES_2004_RECRUITING_CLASS.aspx|title=HOFSTRA FIELD HOCKEY ANNOUNCES 2004 RECRUITING CLASS|website=Hofstra University Athletics|language=en|access-date=2019-02-24}}</ref> She later represented Trinidad and Tobago at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo.<ref name=":1" />

== Umpiring career == While still playing at Hofstra, McClean became an FIH certified umpire.<ref name=":2" /> Her first international appointment was at the 2005 Junior Pan American Games in Puerto Rico.<ref name=":2" /> She went on to umpire at the 2007 Pan American Games, the 2009 Pan American Cup and the 2010 Pan American Youth Championships.<ref name=":1" /> In 2010 she was appointed as a neutral umpire for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.<ref name=":1" /> At the 2013 Pan American Cup McClean was honored for umpiring her 50th international match.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.panamhockey.org/en/news-226-umpire-ayanna-mcclean-honored-for-her-50th|title=Umpire Ayanna McClean honored for her 50th international match at the 2013 Women's Pan American Cup|website=Pan American Hockey Federation|language=en|access-date=2019-02-24|archive-date=2019-07-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713161609/http://www.panamhockey.org/en/news-226-umpire-ayanna-mcclean-honored-for-her-50th|url-status=dead}}</ref> Upon receiving her FIH Grade One in 2013, she became the highest-ranked female umpire from the Caribbean, and has been so since.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> In the run-up to the Olympic Games of 2016 she was heavily involved in umpiring Olympic Qualification tournaments, including the 2015 Hockey World League Semi-Final in Valencia, Spain, the 2015 Hockey World League Final in Rosario, Argentina, and the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tms.fih.ch/people/1807|title=International Hockey Federation|website=tms.fih.ch|access-date=2019-02-24}}</ref> In 2017 it was announced that McClean was appointed to umpire at the 2018 Hockey World Cup in London, UK.<ref name="tobagotoday.co.tt"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandhockey.co.uk/news.asp?itemid=42799&itemTitle=Officials+named+for+Vitality+Hockey+Women%27s+World+Cup&section=22|title=Officials named for Vitality Hockey Women's World Cup - England Hockey|website=www.englandhockey.co.uk|access-date=2019-02-24}}</ref> On the Olympic Games of 2024 in Paris, she was the referee for the match of Belgium against Japan https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/results/hockey/women/gpa-000800--

== References == <references />

==External links== *{{Sports links}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McClean, Ayanna}} Category:Living people Category:Women field hockey umpires Category:Trinidad and Tobago women's field hockey players Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Sportspeople from Port of Spain Category:Hofstra Pride athletes Category:Trinidad and Tobago expatriate sportspeople in the United States Category:Field hockey players at the 2003 Pan American Games Category:Pan American Games competitors for Trinidad and Tobago Category:Hofstra University alumni