Youth Referees Partake in First-ever GFA Referees Camp

[August 12, 2017 – Yona, Guam] Close to thirty youth referees participated in Guam Football Association’s first-ever daylong youth referee camp organized by the GFA Referees Committee Saturday at the Leo Palace Resort Guam.

The camp was the brainchild of GFA Director of Referees, George Stewart, and included various fun activities on the field mixed in with elements of an international referee fitness test, as well as an indoor portion on the day’s agenda to briefly discuss the Laws of the Game and listen to guest speakers, thanks to special support by Japan Football Association.

“I wanted to try something new and exciting for the youth referees and I appreciate very much the support from GFA Executives and the GFA Referees Committee to make this camp happen,” Stewart said. “Judging from the overall success of this first-ever camp, we’d definitely like to make this an annual event. In fact, we might even try an adult referee camp.

“The camp’s purpose was to have the youth referees experience some of the fitness requirements of top referees like Kyle Legozzie and Shawn Spindel, to pass along some vital information from guest speakers, and to create an overall bonding and learning experience. This is not meant to be a referee course, but a referee camp,” Stewart added.

At the start of the day, youth referees participated in stretching and warm-up exercises with athletic trainer Lexi Gambrell and after, engaged in timed sprinting tests, timed running/walking intervals for endurance along a track oval, the “yo-yo” test, and a change of direction ability (CODA) test, which is now common particularly for assistant referees. Referees Kyle Legozzie, Rhoda Bamba, Cody Lallatin, Royanne Salas, and Erlissa Delfin assisted Stewart in facilitating the fitness tests. After, the participants played fun “bubble soccer” matches made possible by local company AirHeadz and soccer tennis matches before lunch.

After the fitness portion of the camp, participants received dri-fit referee shirts from Triple J Auto Group to wear for the rest of the camp. After lunch, the participants reviewed Laws of the Game and listened to an array of guest speakers, including Lexi Gambrell, FIFA Assistant Referee Kyle Legozzie, GFA Technical Director Belinda Wilson, GFA Executive Director Cheri Stewart, and GFA General Secretary Micah Paulino. Participants were awarded certificates at the conclusion of the camp and ten referees won raffle prizes donated by Triple J Auto Group.

The camp was scheduled ahead of the upcoming youth soccer leagues – the Aloha Maid Minetgot Cup Elite Youth League and the Triple J Auto Group Robbie Webber Youth Soccer League.