A young person has decided that they want to get a job.  They ask themselves what job am I qualified to do? For many of our Heartland soccer players their decision is to stay with the game they love and to become a soccer Referee.  Step 1 is getting certified by US Soccer.

We have talked about the path to becoming a certified Referee in previous articles.  US Soccer has updated the certification training with the new "Grassroots Referee Program".  The first big change is the minimum age (which is now 13). The second is a new online training course that covers the Laws of the Game and other factors for being a successful Referee.  For those candidates who are 18 years or older, US Soccer also requires the successful completion of a background check and completing the SafeSport training program. Kansas, like other states, also requires Referee candidates to attend an in-person class to explore the Laws of the Game in more detail and to get some initial field training on the duties of the Referee and the Assistant Referees.  When a candidate has completed all of this, they are given their Referee badge and can accept assignments at Heartland.

Is this enough training to make an effective Referee?  We would all agree that this is just the beginning of the journey.  Knowing the Laws of the Game (not an easy thing to do) is not the same as applying them in the dynamic atmosphere of a competitive match with players, coaches and fans.  That is why the Kansas State Youth Soccer Association and the Heartland Board of Directors has been funding a Peer Mentoring Program.

Shane Hackett, the Executive Director at Heartland, talks about Heartland's continued commitment to Referees available for our members in this video!

His message is that players who know the game and the nuances of the game (what is a foul and what is legal contact) will be more effective more quickly.  We will continue to help them with our mentoring program (again there is a difference between knowing what the Law says and being able to apply it in a game situation).  

I was talking with a young lady who started her Referee career 4 weeks ago.  I was impressed with her level of effort and her attention to proper technique and positioning.  She told me she had been playing soccer since she was 5 years old and loved the game. She also said she had experienced some "not so effective" Referees and was determined that she would be the kind of Referee that players and coaches and fans wanted to have assigned to their match.  We are looking for these people to join the Referee family supporting Heartland.

Thank you for supporting our Referees as they continue to become the Referees that are making the Heartland Soccer Association difference.  See you at the fields as we join you in watching the players and the Referees move our game forward.