BY MARIE McCAIN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
It's a thankless job, and not one for the thin-skinned.
But for future soccer referees such as 21-year-old Julie Wright, it's a means to an end, a mastery of a beloved sport combined with the authority to ensure unspoiled and sportsmanlike play.
Ms. Wright, a student at Northern Kentucky University, played soccer for 13 years before signing up for the referee class offered by the Western Area Soccer Association (WASA), a local unit of the national Soccer Association for Youth (SAY), covering Price Hill, Western Hills and Delhi.
Majoring in physical education, fitness and recreation, she said she had been interested in being a ref for a long time, and "I just finally decided to really do it this time."
Her father, Greg Wright, a WASA referee administrator, coordinates the three-session classes at St. Teresa School, 1194 Rulison Ave., which began Monday and will be completed Thursday.
Additional training will be held in August by the Westwood, Cheviot, Bridgetown and Mack Township (WCBM) unit, Mr. Wright said.
Classes are open to ages 13 and up.
SAY figures show more than 3,000 teen referees in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, officials said.
Karen Sullivan, 16, of Milford is a referee who started monitoring games when she was 12. She still refs at times to earn extra cash, but she says she doesn't enjoy it as she once did.
"The kids are wonderful. But the coaches and parents yell at us too much," she said. "Many are very nice. But some don't know the rules well enough, and a call that makes perfect sense to everyone who knows the rules will send them into orbit."
Roland Bedard, SAY commissioner and chief rules interpreter, said officiating is not for everyone. "You can't be shy," he said. "In fact, it helps if you are a little bit arrogant, but not too arrogant." "You have to be sure of yourself and confident in your abilities. The worst thing in the world you can do is get into a long argument with a coach about a call and then reverse your decision," Mr. Bedard said.
Much of what young referees take away from their training can be applied in every other aspect of their lives.
"It helps you to deal with people," Miss Sullivan said. "A lot of problems come up, and what I've learned helps me to deal with the problems on the spot."
Mr. Wright said young referees learn to be diplomatic peacemakers. "It's an art," he said.
There are approximately 10,000 soccer players in Greater Cincinnati, making it one of the largest regions nationwide, officials said. "Reffing" also exposes younger teens to the job market earlier. Depending upon the age of the players and the number of matches, teens can make as much as $100 in one weekend, Miss Sullivan said. Teen referees mainly officiate games for young players, ages 5 and above, and can earn about $8 per 45-minute game.
It helps if the referee has played the game.
But, Mr. Wright said, it is not necessary. "They are taught the mechanics of the game and every aspect of the rules," he said. After 14 hours of training and success on written exams, new referees put their skills into action during the pre-season games. "They learn as they go," Mr. Wright said.
