Nelson Kobren
Memorial
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Remembrences of Nelson
NELSON KOBREN, MSI AND METRO WASHINGTON REFS FOUNDER, DIES
Jim Gordon
(Prepared in October, 1996, for the Maryland State Soccer News)
Nelson Kobren, a pioneer and guiding light of soccer in Maryland and the Washington area,
died of heart problems in August, at the age of 65. He was one of the original
organizers of Montgomery Soccer, and was a founder, former president and board member of
the Metropolitan Washington Soccer Referees Association. Although he had received a
heart transplant in 1995, Kobren's dedication led him to return to refereeing within a
year.
In 1956, Kobren was one of eight soccer referees at the first meeting of what was then
informally known as the D.C. Soccer Referees Association. Members worked six or seven
school games per season, earning $12 for a high school match, wearing black and white
striped shirts and white knickers. They earned $15 for an occasional college match,
and easily covered the few senior amateur games involving embassy or ethnic teams. For the
latter matches, the referees were paid by passing the hat to players and fan
s, sometimes bringing in as much as $10.
When several soccer enthusiasts in the Silver Spring area decided in 1971 to organize a
local youth soccer league, Kobren set up a table in a shopping mall to sign up Montgomery
Soccer's first players and coaches. He was soccer coach at Montgomery Blair High School in
Silver Spring from 1960 to 1964, leading Blair to the state soccer championship in 1964.
He retired in 1994 with 35 years as a teacher, coach and athletic director at
Blair, and never missed a day of work.
Kobren remained deeply dedicated to refereeing and MWSRA. Over the years, he stepped
forward many times when asked to serve on the association's board or as commissioner,
taking responsibility for referee assigning for short or longer periods. He always
was especially concerned to assure that plenty of experienced referees earned their annual
certification by the national high school federation, to officiate at the ever-growing
number of scholastic games. He took an active interest in younger referees,
and regularly contributed to MWSRA's newsletter. |
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