Besides being on a sports team, students at IHS contribute in various ways to the athletic community. One such way is refereeing a sport. Students can become soccer referees by completing certain courses and taking tests. I recently sat down with soccer referee Max Petrov to discuss his profession and how he contributes to the soccer community.
Asha Duhan ‘19: Why did you become a soccer referee?
Max Petrov ‘19: There are a few reasons why I became a soccer referee. One reason was that I was in need of a job, and wanted my job to be interesting. Every time I referee a soccer game is different, and this brings me a lot of enjoyment. Also, soccer is easily my favorite sport, and as I am unable to play it at a high level, I still wanted to be involved in it.
AD: What is your job as a referee?
MP: As a soccer referee, I am responsible for knowing and enforcing the complex rules of the game during a match, and making sure everything goes well. However, above all, I am responsible for the safety of all of the players.
AD: What was the process for becoming a soccer referee?
MP: The process of becoming a soccer referee was fairly simple. There are certain classes you have to attend, and certain tests that you have to pass, and as long as you have done that, you can become a referee. However, going up the ranks of soccer referees is complicated and hard, and takes many many years.
AD: What are the benefits and cons of being a soccer referee?
MP: For every person, there are different pros and cons of being a soccer referee. For me, the main pro is that I am able to be involved in the game I love, and to perhaps pursue this as almost a full time job one day. There is honestly only one con for me of this job, and that is the questionable attitude of the spectators at some games. Although this doesn’t happen every game, occasionally, spectators will yell out angrily at you, and nobody enjoys getting yelled at.
AD: How does refereeing help you feel connected to soccer?
MP: As a soccer referee, I am involved in the soccer community of Ithaca as I get to personally know many of the players that I referee, and talk with the various coaches of the teams. This allows me to feel just as connected to soccer as any player on the field.
AD: How has refereeing affected you as a person?
MP: If there is one thing that soccer refereeing has taught me, it is patience. There are numerous episodes in every game where I have to exercise patience, such as when I have to tell a coach to stop complaining, or when I have to convince a player to calm down. This is a very useful skill in life, as by using patience, most obstacles in your life can be overcome.