2015 Disney Girls’ Soccer Showcase
Orlando Florida
Referee Academy
M E M O R A N D U M
TO: All Region I, II, and III SRAs and SYRAs
RE: 2015 Referee Academy at the Disney Girls’ Soccer Showcase
CC: Mark Luster, Randy McCulley, Joey Barrett, Tim Groth, Cheryl Groth Date: 9/12/2015
The Disney name is synonymous with excellence. Whether one is talking about theme parks, children’s movies, or sporting events, Disney is known for “doing things right.” Each year, the Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex hosts two premier college soccer showcase tournaments: the boys’ showcase tournament and the girls’ showcase tournament. Both tournaments play host to some of the best youth soccer teams in the country. As part of its commitment to excellence and in an effort to attract quality game officials, Disney runs a referee academy during each tournament. The academy held concurrent with the boys’ tournament is an identification event whereas the academy held during the girls’ tournament is a pre-identification event – a training event that provides talented but inexperienced officials with the opportunity to learn from top level officials, assessors, and instructors in a supportive, friendly environment. Last year, participants in the girls’ showcase referee academy had the opportunity to not only hear and learn from but to interact on an informal basis with highly experienced FIFA officials like Sean Hurd, Kermit Quiesenberry, Veronica Brito, and Christina Unkel, along with other highly experienced officials and instructors. (See attached brochure for a complete list.) I would like to invite officials meeting our criteria to this year’s Girls’ Showcase Referee Academy and ask that you pass this information on to all qualified registered referees in your state. Although we have accepted officials whose demographics fell outside these parameters, officials who meet the following criteria will be given preference:
Age: 18 – 30 (male or female)
Grade: 08 – 06 [(08) officials must be capable of refereeing a competitive U/16G] Other: Strong desire to learn; receptive to feedback, physically fit (i.e. capable
of officiating three highly competitive U/18 games per day for five days). If your state has a referee newsletter, I would greatly appreciate it if you would include
information on the Disney Referee Academy in that newsletter.
Chris Kenney,
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General Information
Application and Application Deadlines: The director begins reviewing applications November 1; applications received after this deadline will only be reviewed if space is available. Applicants will be notified by e-mail if they are accepted by December l. As space is limited due to our limited number of high-level mentors, interested officials are encouraged to apply early. To apply, officials should e-mail Chris Kenney at chriskenney5@gmail.com, making sure to place in the subject line of the E-mail “APPLICATION FOR DISNEY SHOWCASE ACADEMY - <official’s name>” and include in its body the following information in the exact order listed below:
(1) Legal first & last name (7) State Association
(2) USSF ID # (8) Name & E-mail address of SYRA or SRA (3) Age (9) Name & E-mail of your local referee admin. (4) Gender (10) T-shirt size (Assume cotton material) (5) Current USSF Grade (11) Roommate preference, if any
(6) Years at current grade (12) Special needs/request.
Referee Registration Requirements: At the time of application, applicants must be currently registered referees with U.S. Soccer and eligible to register as a grade 08 or higher level referee in their state the following year. All registration requirements for the following year, including but not limited to, the payment of all fees and successful completion of the fitness and written tests must be completed by November 30. Authorization to Travel (to officiate in an out-of-state affiliated tournament) should be received from the applicant’s SRA or SYRA by November 30. It is the applicant’s responsibility to work with his/her SRA/SYRA to ensure that the necessary paperwork is submitted to the Academy Director by the deadline.
Travel and Accommodations: Disney provides accommodations to all tournament game officials, including academy participants. Individuals officiating at the tournament, including Academy participants, receive their lodging information from Anthony Travel during the weeks preceding the tournament. Additional information will be sent to those officials accepted into the Academy. Academy participants will share rooms with other academy participants, which may be at a different facility than the general referee population. Participants under the age of 18 may room with their parents, provided they are able to ensure transportation to all games and training events. Unless officiating in the tournament, parents will be responsible for the cost of their half of the hotel room. Traffic in Orlando during December and early January can be challenging and participants staying at other hotels must plan accordingly. Travel to and from the air-port can be arranged, provided we are notified of your travel plans at least two weeks in advance.
Referee Academy
3 Pre-Tournament Meeting: All academy participants are required to attend a pre-tournament academy orientation/training meeting the night before the tournament begins. Participants are requested to make travel plans that allow them to arrive at the hotel at least one hour prior to the start of the meeting. Attire at the first meeting is business casual (USSF or State Association polo, long pants or neat shorts preferred). All other training sessions are casual (shorts & T-shirt with tennis shoes or flip flops are fine).
Daily Format: Academy participants will officiate three games per day, beginning with the earliest start time (7:30 am or 8:00 am). Officials will work two back-to-back games, get one game period “off” for lunch, and then work a third game; thus, each official will both referee once each day as well as serve as AR twice each day. It is imperative that each participant be in
good physical condition so as to be able to function at a high level under varied weather conditions each day for five days. Debriefing with group mentors and/or training sessions are held most afternoons. A lunch stipend is provided to all referees each day of the tournament and a variety of food venders are available inside the ESPN center. Except for the night of the pretournament meeting and the party, academy activities will usually be finished by 6:00 pm and participants expected to get dinner on their own at one of the many restaurants in walking distance of the hotel.
Compensation: Although Academy participants receive standard Disney compensation for each game officiated and a small lunch stipend, participants generally find that, after all expenses are calculated at the end of the tournament, they have broken even. Officials who desire or need to work more than three games per day in order to make money will not be satisfied with the constraints placed on academy participants and therefore discouraged from applying to the academy. The academy prefers to accept applicants who are willing to forgo earning a large amount of money during this tournament in order to receive exceptional training. Payment is made through an independent contractor and officials usually receive their check within two to three weeks after the tournament. Disney requires each official to have payment information on file for the current year and earnings are reported to the IRS.
Weather: Florida weather varies considerably during the winter months with recorded temperatures in Orlando ranging from 30 degrees to 90 degrees. As a result, officials must bring short and long sleeve uniforms in a variety of approved colors along with sufficient street clothes to be comfortable in the myriad of climate possibilities.
Instructional Staff: Each year, the Disney Referee Academies make every effort to invite top level instructors who are not only highly knowledgeable but have demonstrated that they work well with young and/or inexperienced officials. Although the instructional staff may vary somewhat from year to year due to family, U.S. Soccer, and FIFA commitments, every effort is
4 Last year’s staff included the following:
Chris Kenney. A USSF National Referee Emeritus and National Assessor, Chris has a wealth of experience on the field that includes refereeing numerous A-League games, running the line on MLS games, and running the line on international exhibition games. He was most recently appointed an assessor for (PRO) on NASL games and a video inspector for the WSL. He is the director of all Disney referee academies except for the boys’ soccer showcase academy.
Kermit Quisenberry. A FIFA AR who received many awards during his tenure on America’s FIFA list, including but not limited to MLS AR of the year and appointment as AR at the Beijing Olympics, Kermit is one of the most sought after instructors in the U.S. A USSF National instructor, last year he was made a FIFA instructor who has taught at numerous ODP camps and U.S. national tournaments.
Sean Hurd. A current US FIFA AR, Sean was part of the U.S. crew that represented the United States at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He has also been at the Olympics, U/23 World Cup, and World Club Championships. He has more international level experience on the line than any active official in the U.S.
Christina Unkel. A current US FIFA referee, Christina has a wealth of domestic soccer experience and is beginning to make her mark on the international stage. She enjoys working with younger officials aspiring to reach the top.
Veronica Brito. A retired FIFA referee from Mexico, Veronica brings a wealth of experience that includes numerous international matches and Women’s World Cup Qualifying games. She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia and is a regular instructor at the Showcase Academy.
Ted Unkel. Ted is currently a USSF grade 03 (Professional level) referee who was recently promoted from MLS fourth official to referee, receiving more assignments as referee during the 2015 season than just about any other non-fulltime official in the league.. His experience as a college referee spans several decades, and he is a highly sought after guest speaker.
Frank Giancroce. The current State Referee Administrator for Pennsylvania – East State Soccer Association (for over 30 years!) and Region 1 representative to the USYSA referee committee, Frank has been involved at every level of soccer as an administrator and a referee in this country, including being a member of the National Referee Committee. He is a state referee instructor and state assessor. Rodney Kenney. Rodney fell in love with the game when he first coached his son’s youth soccer team. Since that humble beginning, he has been the District B3 Referee Administrator for FSR, the State Referee Administrator for FSR, the State Director of Instruction for FSR, the National Director of Referee Administration for U.S. Soccer, a USSF National Instructor, a USSF National Assessor, a high school coach, and even a college coach.
Gary LeMay. A retired USSF National referee, Gary has over a decade experience working in the various indoor and outdoor professional leagues that existed at the time and logged over 100 professional games. He played a pivotal role in the development of the original state referee course and state assessor course, and he developed material for use at the USSF National Referee and National Assessor Training Camps. He is credited with developing the country’s first mentor program.
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Referee Academy
5 Party: The academy holds a small dinner and social one evening, usually around the end of the tournament, for academy participants to enjoy each other’s company. Dress is casual!
T-shirts: Academy participants will receive a tournament referee T-shirt and a Disney Referee Academy T-shirt for participating in the tournament and academy, respectively.
Instructional Material: Many of the instructors have handouts and videos that they are willing to share with academy participants. We welcome and encourage the sharing of the material we disseminate to participants.
Videoing: Some participants may be videoed when they are serving as referee or assistant referee for heuristic purposes.
Laundry facilities: All hotels used by the academy have coin-operated laundry facilities on the premises. As officials will go through clothes and uniforms rapidly, especially if it rains on one or more days, participants are advised to bring laundry detergent and plenty of quarters.
Contractual Obligation: Once an official is notified of their acceptance into the Showcase Academy, a contractual obligation exists between the referee and the academy that is similar in nature to the contractual obligation that exists between a referee and an assignor once the referee accepts a game assignment. Last minute cancellations place an undue burden on both the academy director and tournament referee assignor. For this reason, non-emergent last minute cancelations will be reported to the applicant’s state referee administrator.
Desired Participant Personality Characteristics: The Academy mentors and staff desire participants, who possess a strong desire to learn and improve, are receptive to new ideas and constructive criticism, are comfortable sharing ideas with a group of people, and are able to learn from and cooperate with people from a variety of different backgrounds and cultures. For those who wish to learn, this will be a truly unforgettable experience.
Acceptance Material: Officials accepted into the academy will be notified by e-mail and will receive additional material, including but not limited to, a map of the area, a layout of the complex, contact information, and room assignments.
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PHOTOS FROM 2014
Referee Academy
7 Field Sessions with a FIFA instructor (& retired FIFA AR) Kermit Quisenberry and FIFA AR Sean Hurd
8 Young referees having a great time, posing at the Disney-ESPN complex.
Referee Academy
10 Group Photo of some of last year’s academy staff
