Montgomery United Soccer Club
Because I had played soccer for nearly 10 years, I felt qualified and prepared to change roles from player to referee. Therefore, in 2007 I took and passed my referee exam, and became a referee for my local soccer club. I started off officiating the Under-10 Boys and Under-10 Girls games. Following two Referee of the Year awards in 2007 and 2009, however, I felt compelled to move up to the higher levels. By the time I ended my refereeing career in 2011, I exclusively officiated the Under-19 Boys and Under-19 Girls games. Though there was more pressure on the referees in these games, I loved the level of the play and the interaction between myself and the players.
I absolutely loved my time as a referee. In fact, I plan on continuing my refereeing career once I graduate from Temple because I learned so much from being on the other side of the whistle. I learned how to make split second decisions, and how to stick with those decisions. As a referee, it was inevitable that I would miss a call here or there. How a referee handles the response from players and fans, however, is what separates good referees from great referees. I also learned how to deal with conflict in the heat-of-the-moment. Players will say some nasty things to referees, but referees should not allow this heckling to disrupt their focus on officiating a game.