2009 Youth Referee Symposium RA Centre - Ottawa, Ontario April 18th, 2009, 9:30am - 4:30pm
The OSA will be hosting a Youth Referee Symposium in Ottawa in conjunction with the 2009 Play Soccer Conference. The symposium will run on April 18th, 2009, from 9:30am to 4:30pm at the RA Centre in Ottawa, Ontario.
The 2009 OSA Youth Referee Symposium has been designed with topics specifically aimed at youth referees. Topics that have been recognized as areas that cause difficulty for young referees, and may cause them to stop refereeing altogether. The symposium will build upon what is instructed in the current youth education program in Ontario, though focusing less on technical aspects of refereeing. Rather, the focus will be on those aspects of refereeing that directly affect youth referees. The topics being discussed at the 2009 Youth Referee Symposium will be:
"Making the Tough Call" - looking at some of the tougher Laws, and those that give young referees the most difficulty
"The Art of Being an AR" - the intricacies of being an AR, and what separates great ARs from the rest.
"Managing Conflict" - how to best deal with unruly players, coaches, and spectators.
"Unique Aspects of Female Refereeing" - examining issues in refereeing that are unique to females.
The Ontario Soccer Association is very fortunate to have confirmed some of the top referees in Ontario and Canada to speak at the symposium. Carol Anne Chenard, a FIFA certified referee, will give the keynote address. As well as Carol Anne, many other current and former National and FIFA referees are scheduled to instruct, so there will certainly be a wealth of refereeing knowledge and experience on hand. Participants will also have an opportunity to ask questions of our experts in a formal Q&A session at the conclusion of the symposium.
The OSA would like to acknowledge Active 2010 for making the 2009 OSA Youth Referee Symposium possible. Referees interested in participating are encouraged to complete the Referee Symposium Registration Form at the bottom of the page, and mail it into the Eastern Ontario District Soccer Association office (address posted below). Participants must be between the ages of 13-18, and the cost of the symposium is $20 per referee, which includes attendance at 3 education sessions throughout the day, a Q&A session with the panel of experts, the keynote speech, as well as lunch and entry into a draw to win a number of different door prizes. The deadline to receive registrations is March 27th, 2009.