Join GLG’s 2022 Referee Team!
GLG is looking for 10 referees for our competitive travel teams for Fall 2022. Players 13 and over, parents and coaches are eligible to apply.
Benefits
Pay rates start between $25 and $35 per match.
You set the hours and locations. Work any weekend during the fall and spring seasons between 8 AM and 5 PM.
If this job is not for you, please pass it on to someone who you think would be interested!
Registration Process
Create a US Soccer account and register for a Grassroots First-Time Referee Course that works best for you. Course details and availability are accessible at Upcoming Grassroots First-Time Referee Courses.
For more details on how to create an account with US Soccer, please visit Become a Referee CNRA or follow the steps below.
Registration Steps
SIGN UP IN THE US SOCCER LEARNING CENTER: Navigate to the US Soccer Learning Center. Select “Sign Up” in the upper right corner and enter your information.
COMPLETE THE BACKGROUND CHECK (18+): During the certification process outlined below, you will be prompted to complete a background check. This can take up to five days to process and MUST be completed before taking the course, so please complete this immediately upon signing up. These background checks will only need to be completed every other year. (Background checks from other organizations like CalNorth, US Club, etc. will not qualify.)
TAKE THE COURSE
Select “Courses” on the top navigation bar. The system will automatically load the Available Courses menu upon arrival.
In the menu on the left side of the screen, select Grassroots – First-Time Referees. Click “Go to Course List.”
Select the date/location that works best for you (field session).
Complete the online training and test requirements (takes about 5 hours). All Learning Center requirements must be completed at least 24 hours before the field session.
Attend the online field session you selected takes about 2 hours. Your badge will be given to you upon completion of the field session.
EMAIL GLG PROGRAM MANAGER CONFIRMING COURSE COMPLETION: Email Program Manager Michelle at michelle@girlsleadinggirls.org confirming course completion.
Should you need any assistance with registration, please email the CNRA Registrar.
Need a little more convincing to apply? Read this interview with Caitlin Petrakovitz, a head coach with GLG and a former referee.
Please introduce yourself.
Hi all, I am Caitlin Petrakovitz (aka cp), the head coach of the 08 Determination competitive travel team. By day, I am the director of audience engagement for the digital media brand CNET. In whatever spare time I can find after work, my best friend and I go rock climbing (indoors and outdoors, bouldering, top rope, and lead).
How did you get involved with Girls Leading Girls?
I was recruited as a Girls Leading Girls coach about four years ago as the assistant coach for Determination and have been coaching the team ever since! My personal and professional goals include finding ways to empower and grow a new generation of leaders, and that's exactly what GLG stands for as well and is a big part of why I love coaching for the league.
What was your experience like as a referee?
When I was 12 years old, I signed up to referee alongside my dad because I saw it as a fun way to hang out with him and make some money. Turns out it was one of the best paying jobs I could've had at that age, in more ways than one. A few years later, I was named Cal-North Youth Referee of the Year and was frequently invited to referee at major competitive tournaments around the western states. Through college and afterward I continued to referee for fun — I'm excited to get my referee badge once again, and I hope you will, too!
What would you say are the benefits of serving as a referee as a player?
As a referee, I learned more about the laws of the game, and it helped me visualize the field of play better than any coach had before. Solving problems quickly and working as a team are important as a member of the referee team, major skills which directly translate to playing in any position on the field. The way you see the game evolves when you become a referee, and it can help change your perspective and improve your decisiveness.
What advice do you have for someone interested in being a referee?
Sign-up! The best way to learn more about becoming a referee is to jump in and take the courses. Once you are certified, you will be able to make your own schedule (which means you won't be forced to referee friends if you don't want to!). I can't stress enough how much fun I had as a referee as a teenager: it was a lot of hard work, but like any team sport, the sky is the limit for growth.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about your experience with GLG, as a referee, or just in general?
We all know you can learn a lot about the game just by watching soccer, and signing up to referee is like making a commitment to your own growth as a player: you'll be exposed to different skills, styles of play, new formations, and interesting set plays which will expand your horizons as a player and help you navigate important life lessons as you grow.