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Human Interest

The Top 10 Great Things About Being a Soccer Referee

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

January 23, 2024-I have been the Public Relations Director of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) for over a decade but I was a referee long before that. Taking up the whistle when I was 16 years old in 1978, I’ve officiated for the past 46 years. Here are my Top 10 Great Things About Being a Soccer Referee:

1. Refereeing looks good on a resume, particularly if you just graduated from college. When I graduated from Parsons School of Design in 1984, I thought that I was going to set the advertising world on fire (which never actually worked out exactly that way). But first, I needed to obtain my first job and had a problem filling up one page on a resume with such little experience. So I added refereeing to the bottom. Turns out there was an entry-level opening at Manhattan ad agency Sudler & Hennessey, I sent my resume, the boss showed it to a Regional Referee there who told him, “Hire Randy. Refereeing at such a young age shows maturity.”

2. You learn to remain calm at all times, even if everybody else is negative and upset. Being calm is a very good personality trait to have.

3. You start speaking in foreign languages. The more foreign language words you can speak on the field, the less dissent you will receive in that tongue as players and coaches will be unsure what you understand and what you don’t.

4. You earn good money. Although for nearly every ref in the United States, refereeing is our avocation but the extra money earned from officiating is very nice.

5. You learn that it’s not about you but about them (the players). And this is a wonderful attitude to have. Referring just above to #4, those who make it about the other person and not themselves will always find work, even much more so than the people who are solely focused on making a living.

Michael Blackton photo of Randy refereeing the South Shore Bulldogs

6. You learn to manage people. Another thing that is so helpful for that weekend referee earning a living from Monday to Friday as he or she can transfer the items learned in managing players, coaches and even officiating colleagues to the corporate world.

7. You are your own boss and go directly to the customer. There are no intermediaries whatsoever, you sink or swim based on how you do, and you also decide when you can ref in working with assignors.

8. You get (or stay) fit. I have to do a great deal of cardiovascular training, particularly now at 61 years old, to continue to be able to stay up with much younger players in running up and down a soccer field. My Primary Care Physician looked at my excellent blood results and said, “Keep refereeing.”

9. You expand yourself by leaving your comfort zone. Where there is a risk, there is often a reward. In every game officiated, refs leave their comfort zone as they could be confronted by unhappy players, coaches and spectators. Yet thankfully, this does not happen in the majority of games. There is much reward and satisfaction in sticking to it and working with players and coaches in producing a fair and controlled game.

10. You meet the greatest people. So many are my friends, including my closest friends, are players, coaches and fellow referees. Seemingly every few weeks, I am warmly stopped on the street by somebody who remembers that I refereed their game when they played way back when, often calling me by my name, and it feels great to be remembered and know that I have made a positive difference in a person’s life.

Why don’t you consider becoming a ref in 2024? Eastern New York is looking for new Grassroots Referees and the certification class consists of both online and classroom learning. For more information, log on to https://enysreferee.org/how-to-become-a-referee/. If you have any questions, e-mail questions@enysreferee.org

With over 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with nine leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and US Youth Soccer. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/

Don’t Coach From the Sidelines

EASTERN NY YOUTH ASSOCIATION (ENYYSA) JOINS “DON’T COACH FROM THE SIDELINES” CAMPAIGN

(August 16, 2023) – EASTERN NY YOUTH ASSOCIATION (ENYYSA) is proud to join US Youth Soccer and 24 additional state associations to launch a “Don’t Coach from the Sidelines” Campaign targeted at improving sideline etiquette from spectators and coaches. Leveraged by the membership of the 24 state associations that are involved with this initiative, more than one million players and 100,000 coaches will directly receive the message of the national campaign.

As part of this initiative to improve sideline behavior, a video has been created to provide education and improve awareness around this critical topic

Click for Video: https://youtu.be/94xeCRYO9Hw 

EASTERN NY YOUTH ASSOCIATION (ENYYSA) has seen its membership base grow to over 100,000 youth players, 10,000 active coaches, and thousands of volunteers through its network of 10 member leagues and more than 350 member clubs across the state. This growth is thanks to efforts by the state association, member leagues, member clubs, referees, and the soccer community at large. To ensure the continued growth and development of soccer in our state continues, EASTERN NY YOUTH ASSOCIATION (ENYYSA) believes we must all do our part to create a safe, friendly, and fully inclusive soccer environment for our youth players to enjoy the game. “We’re grateful to Indiana Soccer for leading this project in an effort to improve the environment for our youth players,” said Laura Francis, ENYYSA Operations Director. Sideline behavior is crucial, and we will continue to make it a priority so that players enjoy their soccer experience”.

Ball State University recently conducted research that included parent surveys regarding their sideline experience, and their work also involved the surveying of referees who stepped down from officiating. Based on their research, the element that predominately led to a diminished experience for parents and the key reason officials leave the game is the negative sideline etiquette from spectators and coaches. The common themes were verbal abuse of the referees and the parent’s coaching from the sidelines. As a result, US Youth Soccer and participating state associations are developing a series of behavior modification videos to help improve the experience of all stakeholders.

“The recent survey conducted by Ball State University clearly revealed that only a small portion of coaches, parents and players are diminishing the experience for the vast majority of stakeholders,” said Dave Guthrie, Executive Director of Indiana Soccer. “Unfortunately, these few bad actors are ruining the game for the masses. It is our hope that through education, which is what the video was created to do, will educate the offenders and they will realize that their behavior is toxic and unwelcomed.”

The Don’t Coach from the Sidelines Campaign is an expansion of a focused initiative to improve sideline etiquette from spectators and coaches. Earlier this year, a Respect The Ref Campaign and corresponding video was launched, and the national initiative has now seen its efforts broaden to the commitment of 24 state associations.