30 referees & aspiring referees start a 5-day Advanced FIFA training at PJ Football House in Bath Estate

Thirty (30) referees and aspiring FIFA referees are participating in a five-day FIFA Referees Advanced course at the Patrick John Football House in Bath Estate. The training program commenced on Wednesday 13th April, and will end on Sunday 17th April 2016. There are twenty-six males and four female participants.
 
FIFA is now placing more emphasis on physical fitness training and there will be a lot more practical work during the course, head of referees in Dominica, Clayton Munroe stated at Wednesday’s opening ceremony.
 
“Refereeing and assistant refereeing is not done in a classroom, you have come to learn and we trust that you all are willing to learn, adopt and accept the new ideas which are going to be put forward to you. New, for some of you who are inexperienced, and for the others it would be an improved idea of performing efficiently as referees,” Monroe stated.
 
Munroe is hopeful that the training session will be the beginning of long careers for some of the young referees in particular. He said “Those who are in the midstream, I hope that you will continue to serve as a referee because one can go very far. Notwithstanding the fact that you might not reach the heights of FIFA, but you can develop Dominica’s football by remaining as referees here”. He urged the referees to diligently pursue excellence throughout their refereeing career.
 
President of the Dominica Football Association (DFA) Glen Ettienne said the training is timely, considering the steady decline in the number of persons who officiate at games. “We in the DFA will forever be grateful that you have rendered and will continue to render your service, which has proved to be invaluable. Football cannot continue without referees.
 
Commending the referees, Ettienne said, the task that you perform on the football pitch every day is worthy of praise and commendation, since the job that you perform cannot be measured in dollars and cents”. He added the Association is aware that referees need to be equipped with information and competencies in a timely manner, so as to effectively serve football on the island.
 
Ettienne said he anticipated that the training will be a refresher for senior referees and will serve to increase the knowledge base of individuals who are attending such a course for the first time. There was only one female participant at last year’s training.
 
Meanwhile, Referee Instructor Denmore Roberts noted that the increase in female participants in the course is a good step for Dominica, and advised the referees that the work will be hard, but it will be rewarding.
 
“Nothing comes easy and they say it is only in the dictionary that you can find success before work. This course is going to be more practical. We are going to be out on the filed every day except the final day. This means that we will have more opportunities to deal with drills, work on techniques and the new concepts,” Roberts informed.