| As former President of GSOA, what would you like mention that most people don’t realize about the organization? My term as president ended June of 2006, and I now serve the organization as treasurer. If I had to mention one thing about our organization that most people don’t realize, it would probably be the size of our group’s operation. We have approximately 300 referees as members, and we service around 250-300 schools. For the Spring 2006 regular season, we had almost 4,800 games on the books. All of this is managed by a group of unpaid, volunteer officers, as well as one paid referee assignor. What would you like to say to all the Georgia High School coaches that are new to coaching this season? GSOA accepts games on a first-come, first-serve basis, and we do have limits to the number of games we can accept for any given day. So, make sure you get your school’s login and password from us, sign and return the contract, and submit your games as soon as possible. What advice would you give to a new high school coach regarding sideline behavior and conduct? High school soccer is an extension of the traditional classroom, and your behavior reflects on yourself, your team, and your school. If you conduct yourself with these simple ideas in mind, you’ll be fine. What is the biggest problem referees face while officiating high school games? On the field, it’s the speed of play. Players are getting faster and faster each year. Also, managing the differences in skill level between players and teams. Off the field, it’s a whole laundry list: • Increasing levels of spectator hostility, during and after matches; • Lack of proper security at venues; • Traffic, which forces referees to leave their jobs earlier and earlier each season; • GHSA’s new travel policy for referees. GHSA has created a new travel policy that dictates a flat travel fee for referees, as opposed to the mileage-based reimbursement GSOA used in the past. For soccer referees, that fee is a total of $15 or $20 for an entire crew, depending on how you interpret GHSA’s policy. This new policy does not reimburse referees for driving longer distances to matches, so most referees will choose to stay closer to home. As a result, schools will either not have referees for some games, or will see the same referees repeatedly. What kind of responsibilities come with the office of the president of GSOA? As president, I was responsible for overseeing the entire organization. I would have to do the regular things anybody in a position like this would need to do – create a yearly budget, set meeting agendas, conduct meetings, appoint committees, etc. I was lucky to have great officers elected in the other positions, so all I really had to do was delegate and oversee. I really can’t say enough positive things about the board I had to work with. What did you like most about your job? My favorite part of being president was being able to create processes and policies to help the organization function more efficiently. My goal was to leave office with the organization running more efficiently than it was when I came in to office. Based on the feedback I’ve received from GSOA members and client schools, I think I can safely say I was able to accomplish this goal. Do you have any funny stories about being an official? There’s nothing worse than opening your bag in the locker room, only to discover there are no shorts in there… What has been the most challenging aspect of your job as president? Getting people to rise above their personal issues and agendas, in order to work for the benefit of the organization as a whole. What would you like to tell high school soccer players about conduct and behavior on the field prior to the start of the upcoming season? The same thing I’d offer to coaches. The soccer field is an extension of the classroom, and to remember their behavior reflects on themselves, their team, and their school. You may not always agree with referees, but they are in charge during the match. If you want to make a comment to a referee, do so in a quiet, respectful manner. This will get you a lot more mileage than yelling or gesturing wildly. What would you like to get across to the coaches? The same ideas I shared with players apply to coaches as well. You may think a referee’s wrong, but they are the final authority out there. If you need to talk to a referee, do so in a quiet, professional manner. If you have a problem with how a referee managed a match, the WORST place to address it is at the field, after the match. GSOA provides you with a feedback form on the website, as well as email addresses for the appropriate officers. Please use that form to provide us feedback. I assure you each feedback form is read by the appropriate officers. GSOA has an active assessment and mentoring program, and the feedback supplied to us by coaches is frequently used in referee training and development. We all know that being an official is a thankless job, would you like to take the time to thank some of our top officials for the work they do to make our high school games possible? I’m thankful for the time and effort each of our members puts in! Without the entire group, it wouldn’t be possible to service all the games schools want to play each season. Thank you all! How would you define a good high school referee in your mind? If you ask our assignor, a good referee takes 150 games per season, never turns anything back, doesn’t get injured, will travel anywhere, and is always available! Seriously, a good referee at any level has several traits. Here’s my personal list, in no particular order: • Good people skills; • Good fitness; • Good understanding of the Laws of the Game, as well as the rules of the particular competition; • A constant desire to get better; • Being able to admit you made a mistake, then learning from it; • Confidence, but not arrogance; • Good understanding of the game; How would you define a good coach? Someone who has his team prepared to play, and conducts himself in a professional manner. How would you define the perfect player to officiate on the field? Someone who comes to play the game in a fair, tough, competitive manner. Can you mention some things that you are proud of in relation to your organization? Overall, I’m most proud of the fact that our members are out there 6 days a week, doing a job that most people either can’t or won’t do. How would one go about becoming a high school official if he or she was so inclined? In order to become a GHSA-certified referee, you must attend a one-day clinic. There are several scheduled in the metro Atlanta area, prior to the beginning of the spring season. Additionally, GHSA requires prior certification with USSF, as the GHSA course focuses on the differences between USSF and NFHS rules. GSOA keeps these dates posted on its website. Go to http://gsoa.net and select the “Meeting Dates” page. Additionally, you can email the Vice President for Referees. His email address is listed on the “Officers” page of our website. We have all seen parents and coaches vent their frustrations on referees in club ball and high school ball, what would be your stance on how they can handle themselves in a more appropriate manner to set an example for our players, especially our young players? I’ve touched on coaches’ behavior earlier, so I won’t repeat that again. For the parents, I’d offer this one word: Perspective. This is just a kid’s game. Relax, let them play, let the coaches coach, and let the referees referee. Regardless of the outcome of the game, I promise that the sun will still come up in the morning, and life will go on. Yelling at a referee will probably not get you the result you want, and it only helps to create an environment that isn’t pleasant for anyone – coaches, players, and referees - to work in. I had a player come to me during a game and say “Can you get that woman who’s yelling to shut up?” I asked the player if she could identify the woman for me. The player responded “She’s my mom.” True story! |
