SCRA Presidents Message

September, 2008

As we approach the third week of the CSL season, I hope all of you are comfortable with your share of games. You have all done a great job so far and I want to congratulate you on your efforts and results early in this season.  CSL this year has given us the opportunity to grow with our membership numbers rewarding us with 1,700 games as compared to last year which was 1,500. That’s about a 13% increase over the previous year.

Professionalism:

One area that I want to touch on is professionalism, before, during and after a match. Professionalism begins when you arrive at the field. You need to look the part with proper attire before you ever get to the field. Second, be courteous and introduce yourself to your fellow referees, the coaches, players and even the parents. Starting off on the right foot goes a long way. Third, be tolerant to criticism. During a heated match, emotions can run very high and words from players, coaches, and parents can at times be overwhelming. As referees, we are held to a higher level of accountability and it is important that we always maintain our composure. When you do respond back, it must be in a calm, cool and collective manner working to diffuse the situation rather than compound it. After your match, document any abusive or threatening behavior on a supplemental report and contact your assignor if you feel it crossed the line.

Arbiter Status:

The worst appears to be behind us as most of the system issues appear to be resolved. However, assignment turnbacks continue to hamper our assigning. It has added to the assigning effort and complicated assignments from being distributed earlier in the week. The Board of Directors have agreed to implement and enforce a turnback policy which could result in blocking your availability for first time offenses, to fines and inactivation to Arbiter for repeat offenders.

Upgrades:

For those of you that want to upgrade, please contact Mark Rogers so you can be put on a list and assigned the games for an assessment. We have had numerous games this season that have been passed over. Remember, if you pass your upgrade or maintenance assessment, you will be eligible for reimbursement either by CSL or SCRA.

Internal Ratings:

The Board has recently reviewed everyone’s internal ratings and made any changes where applicable. Please verify your rating under the SCRA website “Manage Accounts” and let us know if you have any questions.

Remember that recertification testing is just around the corner for 2009. Please look for emails to keep you informed on when and where to go.

As you put in your availability in Arbiter, make sure it is ACCURATE, that you have made arrangements for drop-offs or pick-ups if you are a youth, and you are not nursing an injury. Being safe, healthy and happy are keys to success. Let’s continue our winning ways….

Sincerely,

Marcel Caruana

President

South Coast Referee Association