Mentors & Volunteers
Backing the Next Generation
support and guidance
everyone can benefit
the senior levels
One evening training session needs to be attended in order to be accredited by The Football Association and the ECFA arrange these on a periodical basis. Mentors are asked to watch the people to whom they are allocated as they officiate from time to time. The key points for any Mentor to remember when watching a referee are to:
- say “Well Done!”
- ask the referee how he or she feels about the game
- congratulate the referee on the three strongest features of his or her game, encouraging them to maintain those strengths
- discuss possible solutions to the weakest feature of the referee’s game
Three strengths but only one weakness? Yes. Remember it’s all about encouragement! The mentoring relationship is, however, an ongoing project and is not strictly limited to the Mentor occasionally watching the person being assisted. The person being guided should also watch the Mentor officiate from time to time if they are still active, discussing the game perhaps at half time and certainly afterwards. Both people should also sometimes go to watch a game together, whether a professional game, semi-professional or on the parks, again discussing the performance of the official(s).
It is important that Mentors should be available to assist people whenever the need arises. Normally this is done by telephone - why not arrange to speak on the phone, say, every Thursday evening? Meeting-up every now and then, perhaps at functions organised by local Referees’ Societies, is also very helpful.
A small amount of paperwork has to be completed by the Mentor - periodic Feedback Forms have to be submitted to the co-ordinator of the scheme so they can keep an overview of its operation and so any widespread training needs can be drawn to the attention of the organiser.
The key characteristics of a good Mentor are friendliness, approachability and patience. Experience as a referee is helpful but it’s not necessary for this to be particularly lengthy. In many ways, someone who qualified a year or so ago will be an ideal Mentor for someone who is newly-qualified as the issues that challenge a new referee will still be fresh in the mind of the Mentor.
Even if the Mentor doesn’t know the answer to every particular question, he or she will normally know who can provide it. Guidance can, of course, always be obtained from the co-ordinator of the scheme. In summary, absolutely any referee registered with the Essex County FA can become a Mentor . If you are an ECFA-affiliated Match Official please fill-in the Form below if you’d like to become a mentor.