2000 has been a rewarding year for the Massachusetts State Referee Committee. The proactive stance of the organization and new policies enacted in 1999 have had profound impact. Greater emphasis was placed upon recruitment, continuing instruction, mentoring, and recognition of exceptional performance. The result has been increased responsiveness and participation at all levels.
The Committee selected Curtis Brothers of Dudley, MA as the new director of the Mentor Program. Curtis brings a profound understanding of the issues and pressures faced by novice referees and the commitment to build support networks at all levels of competition within Massachusetts.
The MSRC signed an agreement with MyTeam.com to develop our web site (www.massref.net). The web site will continue to evolve and drive how we conduct business and communicate with referees in the future.
The MSRC registered over 4,100 referees during the year. This represents a 14% increase in the referee population in Massachusetts over the previous year. Under the direction of Bill Carey, director of Recruitment, entry level course announcements were sent to every Massachusetts newspaper via E-mail, regular mail or both during the year.
The MSRC has identified the need to recruit and train adult referees for the full sided game. Commencing 2001 the MSRC will formulate additional programs to recruit adult referee candidates.
The MSRC has recognized that we will always be treading water if we continue to recruit and train children and ask them to do a job that many adults find difficult. This is unfair to the sport and the young referees. We lose people who, if they just had the chance to become a little more confident, would blossom into outstanding officials, with a lifetime commitment to the game.
To address this issue, MSRC has tested a Recreational Grade referee course, designed for people to referee up to age U-14 matches at the in-town level. The course is ideally suited for young referee candidates, parents of players, and others with an interest in the game to discover the rewards of officiating while working lower divisions or non-travel teams. Once exposed, these in-town referees are more prepared to apply what they will learn in the Grade 8 certification.
The Small Sided program continues to grow and offer a great avenue for younger referees (under age 16) to build fundamental skills at an appropriate level and gain experience. The Small Sided game allows young players to develop, and it also allows young referees to develop, without the pressures of the full-sided game.