TIDEWATER SOCCER REFEREE ASSOCIATION

Associations are created to establish strength and unity in working toward common goals in virtually every profession. They are non-profit organizations formed to promote the economic, scientific or social well-being of their members. Joining a professional organization is critical in keeping abreast of the latest knowledge and practices locally, regionally, and even globally. It helps the professional to stay in tune with current issues and opportunities and may also assist in the professional advancement of the member who becomes, and stays involved. 

 

   Tidewater Soccer Referee Association provides a structure by which clubs and leagues may address conflicts and concerns, offer suggestions, or organize tournaments. Since no individual will have the ability to make big decisions without the consent of the association’s elected President and/or Board members, decisions made “by committee” usually result in more thoughtful and effective solutions. They tend to be incremental in nature, as opposed to monumental. In other words, more input, from more sources, makes for better informed decisions, resulting in more mutually beneficial outcomes.

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  The Association also simplifies the assigning process for the clubs and referees. A referee association, rather than multiple independent assignors, allows clubs and leagues to make one call instead of many, and when there are hundreds of matches every week, that streamlines the process.

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  The members of the Association vote for their representatives to act in their best interests. The Association holds membership meetings to keep its members apprised of upcoming events, changes to rules of competition or the laws of the game, video review and training in-person and video-conferencing.

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  All the Board members and the President have careers outside of refereeing. They devote many volunteer hours every month in service to the association. None more so than the President of the association. Some members may do more than others on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, but all are required to provide input and vote on decisions made on behalf of the association.  

 

  Members that choose to run for election to become board members bring various elements of expertise to the work of the association from their regular careers. This may include contract negotiation experience, financial or legal expertise, refereeing expertise, management, customer service, coaching, project management, sales etc.  

 

  The association is an administrative body that spends its time and resources on facilitating the efficient execution of referee services for its clients, while also protecting the best interests of its referees. A referee association is at the core of a symbiotic relationship between leagues, clubs, assignors and referees.

TSRA is a business. Their clients are the clubs and leagues it serves. 

The clubs and leagues are also businesses. Their clients are the players and their parents.  

We all must work together, and compromises must be made everyday, so the system can work for everyone.