Mentoring & Development Program

Mentoring and professional development are great ways to help referees of all ages and skill levels improve their game management and application of the rules. In Fall 2016, MWSRA introduced its New Referee Development Program to help new referees of all ages improve their fundamentals, signals, positioning, game management, and more. Our broader mentoring and development program also offers one-on-one guidance and on-field training group clinics. Mentoring exists at the highest levels in the state, region, national, and international leagues to continuously improve and support referees.
 

Who should request mentoring?

Anyone. That’s right. Any referee can request mentoring and other professional guidance to become a more effective referee, especially as the soccer community, local rules, and Laws of the Game continue to change. This is especially encouraged for…

  • Referees with 1-5 years of experience regardless of your age. 
  • Any referee looking to try a new type of game or new role (for example, your first 2-ref high school match or your first center referee position). 
  • Any referee who wants to refine specific skills or who wants get more informal feedback before a state assessment.

How do I request a mentor?

Please fill out this short form if you are interested in receiving mentoring guidance or an informal assessment from MWSRA referee mentors. This can be a one-time request for feedback on a single game or an ongoing development relationship. This is a FREE benefit that we offer to any MWSRA referee interested.

Want to be a mentor?
 
Mentors are expected to be present for the entire game and will be trained to provide feedback on the referee’s performance, game management, and areas for improvement. All referee mentors will be paid the equivalent of the center referee game fee for each game mentored. Any fees earned will be paid at the end of the season.
 

To learn more about becoming a mentor or MWSRA’s mentoring program in general, please contact MWSRA’s Director of Referee Development Matthew Popkin.

Testimonials

“Very helpful feedback – specific and actionable. I was the CR for a game last night and was immediately able to put many of your suggestions about signaling and handling substitutions into practice.”

“I found your input on the field helpful and applied it even during the varsity game that followed.”

“Very helpful feedback – specific and actionable. I was the CR for a game last night and was immediately able to put many of your suggestions about signaling and handling substitutions into practice.”

“I like how you asked me to reflect not just on what happened, but why it happened (e.g., asking me why I thought I was so far from the play and sharing your conjecture that my hesitancy to call fouls may be leading me subconsciously to stay farther away from the play so that I have a mental ‘excuse’ for not calling it).”

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