Transcript How To Be A Mentor

AYSO National Referee Program
How To Be A Mentor
What Is A Mentor?
• A knowledgeable, more experienced helper
• A friendly source of guidance, advice, and confidence for
new referees
• A source of knowledge and experience for referees who
wish to upgrade
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Why Is Mentoring Important?
• Every season, Regions recruit new referees
• The next season, many don’t return
– Lack of experience makes new referees unconfident
– Criticism from the sidelines is embarrassing
– Perceived lack of support from the Region can be frustrating
• An active mentoring program can help
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The Mentoring Program
• The program organizer selects experienced referees (like
you!) to act as mentors
• These referees attend training (this course) to understand
the best practices for helping referees
• The organizer assigns mentors to new referees
• The mentor and the new referee begin to build a
relationship of trust
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The Mentor Certification
• Successful completion of this course will result in
certification as a Referee Mentor in eAYSO
• Being certified as a Referee Mentor means
– That you care about your Region’s referees
– That you care about the kids, who need referees in order to play
– That you understand how to communicate tips for improvement in a
nurturing, positive manner
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Being A Mentor
The Basics
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The Mentor As A Teacher
• Mentees will rely on your knowledge and assume that it’s
correct
• If you get the Laws wrong, it affects your game
• If you pass along incorrect Law or guidance to your
mentees, it affects many more games
• This means that mentors must be constant students of the
Laws, USSF Advice to Referees, USSF Guide to Procedures,
and AYSO program documents
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The Mentor As A Friend
• Work to build a relationship of trust
• Greet your mentee with a smile and a handshake
• The mentee will know whether you truly care
• Always communicate positively, not negatively – even if the
mentee has a lot of room for improvement
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Negative Guidance
“You’re doing it wrong. You are almost always running straight
up and down the field, chasing play. That means you have no
angle to see fouls. And you’re constantly missing your
assistant referees’ flags!”
If you were the mentee, how would you feel?
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Positive Guidance
“You’re doing a good job keeping up with play! Now try this:
when you run on what we call the left diagonal, as much as
you can, stay a little to the left of the ball. That way you’ll have
a better view of what the players around the ball are doing,
and you’ll be able to look through them to see your lead AR.”
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Watching the Mentee
• You must watch the mentee in action to understand his
strengths and weaknesses
• Ideally, you’ll watch the mentee work multiple games
• You don’t have to watch an entire game to understand how
the mentee is performing
• Don’t interfere with the mentee’s game: wait until halftime
or post-match
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Post-Match Discussion
• Find a quiet, private place
• Let the mentee get a drink and cool down
• Thank the mentee for doing the game
• Ask how the mentee felt about the game and any problem
areas she felt that she had
• Answer any questions truthfully
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Post-Match Discussion
• Provide a summary of performance, starting with the good
things
• Provide guidance on areas that could be improved
– Limit this to the two or three things that will provide the biggest
performance gains
• Don’t just say what to change: explain why
• Arrange for the next observation
• Be available to answer questions before then
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Mentoring New Referees
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Challenges For New Referees
• New referees are unsure of their ability to remember and
properly apply the Laws
• They can become easily confused during a game, adding to
a lack of confidence
• New referees are especially vulnerable to negative
comments and criticism from the sidelines
• The mentor has tools to help with these issues
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Tools For Mentors
• Meet with the new referee before his first game to create a
bond and answer any initial questions
• Let the mentee know that he shouldn’t allow negativity, and
explain the “Ask, Tell, Dismiss” tool
• Be at the mentee’s first game to observe and help
• Offer to “shadow” (run with) the mentee
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Tools For Mentors
• Greet the mentee with a smile and remind her that you are
there to support her
• Let her know not to be worried about making mistakes –
otherwise known as “learning opportunities”
• Wear the uniform and be visible to parents and coaches
• Always comment on the positive things the mentee is doing
and on any improvements made
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Mentoring New Youth Referees
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Characteristics Of Youth Referees
• New youth referees have often played soccer themselves,
or are still playing
• They may be more confident in their ability to referee a
game being played by younger players
• They are less able to handle irresponsible adult behavior
from the sidelines – nor should they have to
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Mentoring Youth Referees
• When you observe their game, be fiercely protective
• Be visible, and proactively deal with sideline dissent
• Suggest that if you aren’t there for a game, the youth should
find a suitable adult to deal with irresponsible coaches or
spectators
• Be generous with praise and gentle with suggestions
• Be patient
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Mentoring Upgrading Referees
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Mentoring Upgrade Candidates
• Be familiar with the required skills for the level the mentee
is pursuing
• Don’t try to turn the mentee into “another you”
• Be patient as you work on changing bad habits
• The mentee may resist your advice – try changing your
communication style
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Scenarios
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Conclusion
• Mentoring is vitally important
– It helps us retain referees
– When it’s clear that we support and protect our referees, it helps with
recruitment
– It helps our new referees quickly become capable and confident
– It helps our experienced referees upgrade
• Thank you for being a mentor!
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Customer Service
Goal for the referees:
Support the delivery of a great AYSO
experience for the players and others.
How will today’s workshop help you
support this goal?
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