Nurturing and Retaining Youth Referees

• A special program to support referees between the ages of 10 and 17

• sometimes refereed to as the Player Referee Organization Program (PRO), since many are both players and referees

What is the AYSO Youth Referee Program?

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A Youth Ref Program Includes:

• The Youths– Boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 17

• The Adults – The organizers, PRO coordinator, instructors

and mentors must be currently registered AYSO volunteers and AYSO Safe Haven certified

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Minimum Certification Ages

U-8 Official 10

Assistant Referee 12

Regional Referee 12

Intermediate Referee 14

Advanced Referee 16

National Referee 18

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What are some of the important steps you can take to help prepare them to be

youth referees?

Group Activity

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Suggestions

• Train them well• Assign them adult mentors• Pair them with another experienced youth

referee• Provide them with proper uniforms• Teach them to deal with abuse and who to

turn to for help in dealing with abuse before, during and after a game

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Eliminate Abuse: Post This!

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How do you keep them coming back season after season?

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Suggestions

• Make sure they are well-trained initially• Assign mentors to support them• Enforce a strict policy regarding abuse• Form a youth referee club• Recruit teammates, brothers, and sisters• Work around their schedules

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More Suggestions

• Offer additional opportunities for training• Establish good communication• Supply uniforms that actually fit• Don’t push them into challenging games• Encourage referees to upgrade

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Keep Them Coming Back

Appreciate them!Reward them!Thank them!

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Better Youth Ref Programs Have:

• Support from Regional staff • Support from adult referees and coaches • Respect from players and spectators• Zero tolerance for abuse

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And, In Case You Missed It:

Appreciate them!Reward them!Thank them!

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Conclusion

A Successful Youth Referee Program:

Has Regional staff support Treats youth referees with respect Does not tolerate referee abuse Is an integral part of the overall referee

program Includes players, coaches, other volunteers

and parents

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