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every season, rain, hail or shine!

START YOUR REFEREEING CAREER NOW!

Cadet referee's courses available for boys & girls 12-13 yrs of age.
And what's more, the Association will pay for your course fees!!

Click here for more information.

FREE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR 10-16 YEARS & GIRLS 7-9 YEARS PLAYERS

Football NSW are excited to announce that in 2009 development scholarships will be offered, targeting players in the 10-16 age category and females players aged 7-9.

Further information is located on the FNSW website at http://www.footballnsw.com.au/index.php?id=6

St George Football Referees Association Inc.

PO Box 4219

Lugarno NSW 2210

13/01/08

Open Letter to Affiliated Clubs

of

St. George Soccer Football Association Inc.

How many times have your teams turned up and there has been no official referee?

How many times has any of your teams had to beg and co hearse a well meaning but untrained parent into filling the bridge?

From our point of view, once is one too many!!!!

Well here is the chance for your club to really make a difference.

St. George Football Referees Association Inc. in conjunction with the St. George Soccer Football Association Inc. are about to commence refereeing courses for the 2009 season and are seeking your assistance in nominating suitable persons from within your club structure to be trained and take up the challenge of becoming a fully qualified football referee

Historically more than 95% of our members are supplied via the district and junior club structure and it is only with this continued and united approach, by all concerned parties, that we can maintain or increase the number of suitably trained referees to cover the games of St.GSFA Inc.

The problems that we face with the recruitment and retention of referees affects all clubs, as there just never seems to be enough referees to cover all games and in particular the older junior age groups (14’s to 17’s) as well as the lower All Age competitions.

The more clubs advertise and support these courses, amongst there own members and families the greater the chances of increasing the overall coverage of the games in the area becomes.

We are not a large association however the majority of weekends we cover 80% to 90% of the games, which by normal standards is about as good as it gets.

If each club provided 1-2 people, over the age of 18 and available of Saturday afternoon then a near 100% coverage would be achievable.

Imagine that!! A referee at every game!!

Food for thought!!!!!

We appreciate that the demand on club resources in securing volunteers from within their own organization to help with the many tasks required to run a junior club can be onerous but we would ask that you encourage your members to also consider the valuable contribution they would be making, not to just your club but to the greater football community in general, by attending one of the courses on offer.

The off shoot of completing the course will be beneficial for all the stakeholders within the football community. Education of coaches and officials will give them a greater insight into why and how decisions are made.

This will lead to a reduction of the frustrations, often present at games and help to reduce the amount of unwarranted abuse from coaches and spectators towards match officials. Only with a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Laws of the Game does it become possible to instruct the players how to play within the bounds of the rules that govern the sport.

The players will also benefit as they will be encouraged to respect the banner of fair play and that the referee is there to ensure that the game is played within the spirit of Laws of the Game and the competition rules of the Association are complied with and not just seen as someone for frustrations and anger to be vented at.

For any one of these reasons we encourage the clubs to support our drive not only for the recruitment of active referees but to encourage those within their organizations to under take the course to increase their personal knowledge of the game.

Many clubs have willingly supported our drive for referees over the years but there are still some clubs that seem to be less supportive but still expect a referee for their games!!!

The problems with insufficient numbers of suitably trained match officials is the responsibility of all those involved in the sport and without a co-operative approach it will always remain a problem.

We have two courses on offer, the main or full course for persons over the age 14 years and the cadet program for persons aged between 12 and 13 years.

The full course is certified Nationally and is more than suitable for current or prospective coaches, managers or RTO’s who simply want to learn or expand their knowledge of the Laws of the Game.

The courses are open to both males and females and with the ever increasing numbers playing women’s football the opportunities for female candidates has increased significantly.

Once candidates have successfully completed the course they are eligible to become members of the Referee’s Association if they wish to take the extra step.

Apart from allowing them to officiate at games within the district, membership gives them access to the support mechanism of the Referees Association as well as the comprehensive, ongoing, coaching and training program that is designed and tailored specifically for the education and progression of referees and is conducted on a weekly basis.

As the first course commences on 2^nd February, 2009, which may be prior to your registration days, we would greatly appreciate if you could circulate the attached information to as many of your members as possible.

Further courses may become available before the commencement of the season or as the need arises and the details of these will be forwarded to you at the appropriate time.

Should you need to confirm any details regarding the courses or have any other refereeing matters you need clarified then please feel free to contact me, details are listed below.

We thank you for your anticipated assistance in helping us to increase the numbers of suitably qualified and trained match officials so we can maximize the number of games covered each week.

On behalf of our association we trust that the 2009 season is a successful one for your club.

Yours faithfully,

John Parker

Director of Coaching

St.George Football Referees Association Inc.

0412 060 499

coach@saintsref.org.au

COURSE REGISTRATION DETAILS