Women Referees

 

Almost half of the children participating in AYSO are girls, yet most of our coaches and almost all of our referees are males.  Our daughters (and sons) need positive role models in these important positions, so please consider (or re-consider) becoming an AYSO Referee!

Region 9 referee staff will have a new program to encourage moms, grand-moms, sisters, aunts and others to become AYSO Referees, and to support those ladies once they have made the decision to join their daughters (and sons) on the field.

How did other female AYSO referees get their start?  Why are they still officiating?  What do they like (and dislike) about refereeing?  Read some of their stories here.

We have not yet had a chance to review this site, but there is apparently a Facebook page devoted to Female Soccer Referees Worldwide.

ESPN W interviewed FIFA World Cup 3rd Place Match referee Kari Seitz of the United States and FIFA Assessor and Pac 12/WCC assignor Sandy Hunt for an article on the growing role of women's soccer officials in the sport. Great article, don't miss it!

Leslie Cravitz, Region 4

My name is Leslie Cravitz, Region 4.  I have been a referee in AYSO for 24 years.

My son’s coach asked me to be his assistant.  I could not get off work so he asked me to be the team referee.  I told him I would only “do the line thing.  Don’t put me in the middle!!!”

I was asked to be on our Regional Referee Commission and became one of the leaders in our program, encouraging new referees to continue their education by taking classes, and upgrading to higher badge levels.  Others, not I.  I was still too afraid to go in the middle of a match.  That lasted three years.  My co-commission members cajoled me into taking the Intermediate upgrade, which I passed.  I was very content, but my commission members again urged me to continue the upgrade process.  I became the first woman in my Region to attain National 2 status.  (Unfortunately, that level has been eliminated, but I am still happy to be considered a National referee.)   I am happy to say, that there are women following my lead, and they are looking forward to full National status in the near future.

I continue to referee in order to give back to the organization that helped nurture my children when they were playing.  I also do it because of the long friendships I have made over the years, not only in my Region, but in our sister Regions in Section 10.

Contact our Regional Referee Administrator, Mark Spear, if you have any questions or need additional information.