ARIZONA YOUTH SOCCER: YOUTH MENTORING PROGRAM (YMP)

 Mission: to improve the quality and retention of youth referees through training and observation.

 Components:

A.      Twelve senior referees (State, National) will be matched with a youth referee under his or her guidance.  Region I will have five youth referees, Region II will have three youth referees, and Regions III, V, VI, and VII will have one referee. 

B.     At least one senior referee will be assigned to conduct field observations (two full games minimum) at all possible tournaments sanctioned by AYSA.

C.     The Director of the Youth Mentor Program will schedule a referee clinic in each district (possibly in conjunction with local tournaments) where the mentored referees will relate their experiences and other local referees will receive advanced training.

D.     The Youth Mentoring Program will provide a $200.00 stipend for the Arizona Male and Female Youth Referee of the Year to help defray expenses at the Region IV Youth Tournament.

 IMPLEMENTATION:

A.      Each youth referee in the mentor groups will receive, at a minimum, two assessments as a referee and three as an assistant referee, using the Youth Tournament Assessment Form.  Additionally, the senior referee is expected to introduce the youth officials to the major USSF publications associated with refereeing (e.g. Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game, Guide to Procedures for Referees, Assistant Referees, and Fourth Officials, Referee Administrative Handbook, and position papers) to expose the youth referees to the essential referee web sites (e.g. www.ussoccer.com, www.azref.com), to work with the Director of the Youth Mentor Program to develop opportunities to work as a Fourth Official in tournaments, to explain the criteria of selection as Youth Refere of the Year, and to explain the process by which young referees can begin the process to upgrade.

B.     The Director of the Youth Mentor Program will work with the tournament assignor to identify the best opportunity to observe young referees.  Priority will be given to multi-field complexes and to observing those referees not in the mentor program.  Each referee will receive a copy of the Youth Tournament Assessment Form.

 Qualifications: All Grade 7 and 8 referees who have not graduated from high school and who have completed at least two years of refereeing are eligible to apply.

 Application: Contact John Herbert, State Youth Referee Administrator, azherb2@aol.com (e-mail).