On Monday, August 19, Beaumaris Soccer Club hosted a Level 4 Referee Course practical session after showing initiative to the FV Referee Department to accredit over 20 new referees.
The Level 4 Referee Course consists of online learning before attending a 3-hour in-person practical session where referees learn and develop their skills in a safe environment.
Football Victoria would like to congratulate all of the successful participants who can referee games moving forward.
Beaumaris Vice-President David Richards said it was a “hugely successful” session where new referees honed their skills and began their refereeing careers.
“We had over 20 people attend between the ages of 12 and 17 following the lead of U15 goalkeeper Will Miller who has qualified and is regularly refereeing games.
“Each player was provided with the referees kit comprising jerseys, cards, whistles, flags, and the Football Australia book Laws of the Game which is their go-to reference document on how to apply the laws in a match situation.
“Those people I was able to speak to following the course seemed to really enjoy it, I think you’ve got budding referees and we have a need in our junior schedule a desperate need to fill those games with a referee.
“We are hoping even as early as this weekend we can do that.”
Beaumaris showed any community club can put up their hand and host a course, to help educate their players/coaches on the rules of the game and qualify referees at their club.
“We weren’t able to host a course like this until very recently, a bunch of volunteers put in a mountain of work to bring it to life,” Richards said.
“We wanted to host this course to help make the club not just a place to play football but to develop young people and being a referee is a very good way to develop people to respect and understand the laws of the game.
“This was our first real opportunity to do that and we intend to do it again certainly next year.”
FV referees Senko Rastocic and Pouya Ghadirian led the session along with the Beamarusi Director of Football Christian Liberona and David Richards (Vice-President) coaching and assessing all the players to begin a new chapter in their football development.
Richards was pleased there were junior girls interested in the course, helping them align with FV’s goal of 50/50 gender equity by 2025.
“It has been really great to see the female side of the club going gangbusters because they have facilities, they can use rather than what was there previously,” he said.
“We have got about 50 players at the moment, and we want to try and make that 300 by 2025.
“So, part of that development is bringing young females into the game and helping them develop and grow and become more knowledgeable.”
Discounts are available for club members of clubs that host the practical session component. If your club would like to host the practical session component, please contact referees@footballvictoria.com.au