NEWTON GIRLS SOCCER CLUB
REFEREE COMMITTEE
Dear sixth, seventh, or eighth-grader:
Congratulations on having reached the age at which you are eligible to learn to become a referee in the NGS Intramural Program! The purpose of this notice is to inform players interested in becoming a referee for our Intramural program of the necessary steps. Training consists of two parts
Part one is a classroom-based clinic, which will be held:
Tuesday, April 4, 2006 from 7-9 PM
at the Oak Hill Middle School. (Room to be
announced.)
Part two is a field-based session in which those who attended the clinic will observe an experienced referee and be able to discuss issues and ask questions before, during, and after the game(s). These sessions will take place during the first two Saturdays of the season
Saturday, April 8,
2006
and Saturday April 15, 2006
(exact time and place to be announced)
Students should expect to spend at least an hour (the more the better!) at their field-based session.
Since Saturday afternoons are when the games are played which you would be eligible to work, if it is not possible for you to attend the field-based training, this probably isn’t the right season for you to try and become a ref. We can only afford to train students who have available time in which to work. Any other policy does a disservice to everyone involved.
Students must attend both parts in order to referee for NGS. No exceptions!
This training is for ‘brand-new’ refs-to-be. It will cover basic rules and policies and provide additional information that you will need in order to join our refereeing team. We are only able to accommodate a limited number of students. If you are interested in attending, you must contact Jeff Brenner; you will be notified as soon as possible of your ‘acceptance’. Some of the material to be covered is available from the “Referee” section of the NGS web site: http://www.newtongirlssoccer.org/referee This site should be visited often for all kinds of information about NGS and its programs.
As you are probably aware, soccer refereeing can be both challenging and rewarding, and this clinic is the first step most youth refs in Newton take along this path. This is an introductory clinic, designed to provide what you will need to know in order to referee young intramural games (mostly second and third-graders). Ongoing ‘mentoring’ will help you refine and improve your skills. It is not one of the so-called “BAYS courses”, which are 8- or 14-hour courses that NGS sometimes sponsors that enable one to referee BAYS (Travel) games.
Also, if selected for this clinic, please download a Spring 2006 availability form (due ‘up’ later in March), from our website, fill it out carefully, and either mail as noted or bring it to this clinic. We want to stress that refereeing takes responsibility and requires commitment. While it is clearly not for everyone, many of our players have found it fulfilling not only as a way to earn money, but also as a way to stay involved in the game and to make a contribution to one of the country’s largest girls soccer programs. Further information can be found at the NGS web site or by contacting either of us.
Co-chairs, NGS Referee Committee