Okay, so today I’m gonna walk you through my experience with this “soccer female referee” thing. Buckle up, it’s a bit of a journey.
It all started when I saw this poster at the community center, you know, looking for referees for the local youth soccer league. I thought, “Hey, I played a bit back in high school, might be fun and a good way to get some exercise.” Plus, the poster specifically mentioned needing more female referees, which I thought was cool.
First things first, I signed up for the referee course. It was a weekend-long thing, pretty intense. We went through all the rules, regulations, and hand signals. Seriously, there are a LOT of rules in soccer. We also did some practical drills, practicing positioning and making calls. I felt kinda awkward at first, blowing the whistle and running around, but I got the hang of it.
The hardest part was the offside rule. I swear, it took me forever to understand it. The instructor explained it like five different ways, and I still had to watch a bunch of YouTube videos to finally get it. Even now, I sometimes second-guess myself on those calls.
After the course, I had to pass a written test and a field test. The written test wasn’t too bad, just memorizing the rules and regulations. The field test was a bit more nerve-wracking. We had to referee a scrimmage game while the instructors watched and evaluated us. I was so worried about making mistakes, but I managed to get through it.
Alright, time to ref a real game! My first game was a U-10 girls’ match. I was so nervous! I showed up way too early, double-checked my equipment (whistle, cards, watch), and tried to remember everything I learned in the course.
The game itself was…chaotic. These girls were full of energy, running all over the place. I was constantly blowing the whistle, calling fouls, and trying to keep up with the play. I definitely made some mistakes, missed a few calls, and got yelled at by some parents. It was intense!
But you know what? It was also kind of fun. The girls were really into it, and I could see them improving as the game went on. And even though the parents were yelling, they were also supportive. At the end of the game, a couple of the girls came up to me and said “thank you”, which was pretty cool.
Over the next few weeks, I reffed a bunch more games, ranging from U-8 to U-14. Each game was a learning experience. I got better at positioning, making calls, and dealing with difficult players and parents. I also learned a lot about the game itself.
Here are a few things I learned along the way:
- Confidence is key. Even if you’re not sure about a call, make it confidently. Hesitation just makes things worse.
- Communication is important. Talk to the players, explain your calls, and try to build a rapport with them.
- Don’t take it personally. Parents will yell, players will complain, but it’s usually not about you. Just stay calm and focus on the game.
- Have fun! It’s just a game, after all. Enjoy the experience and learn from it.
So, yeah, that’s my soccer female referee story. It’s been a challenging but rewarding experience. I’ve learned a lot about the game, myself, and dealing with people. And who knows, maybe I’ll even work my way up to reffing some bigger games someday.
