Brett Jaffe
Why the Lack of Youth Referees is a Leadership Problem
One of the many hats I wear is that of a youth soccer referee. While I had done this for the money when I was younger, today I do it for the love of the game. That, and to shield my recently-patched daughter from a number of coaches and parents who are, frankly, ruining the experience for their children. When renewing my training, the instructor informed us of a staggering statistic: fewer than 50% of new referees return after their first season. With this being one of the hi