It’s been a fun year since March 2011. I’ve now been informed that I have been successful in completing my Enhanced Promotion attempt with Surrey FA, which now means that I am a Level 5 (Senior County) referee.
There has been a fair amount involved in this:
- Attending two Promotion IST (In Service Training) events.
- Passing two exams on the Laws of the Game.
- Refereeing a minimum of 40 games (Thankfully, I easily surpassed this, with major kudos to the referee secretaries that I have worked with).
- Being assessed a minimum of six times.
- (Voluntarily) passing the FA Fitness Test. Not required for level 5 but seemed a good idea at the time 😉
The support from friends, family and (of course) my fellow referees has been outstanding. Thank you to all!
What’s next? Well, I intend to fully enjoy the remainder of the season and relax into my new level. It will unlock a few other refereeing opportunities which I intend to take up. I have also submitted my application to go for level 4 next season in order to keep up the momentum! Plus any chance to be assessed further is a good thing.
In terms of personal development, the key aspect for me has been that I have really enjoyed the journey so far. If you enjoy something, you are going to progress, if you wish to do so. I will try and remember that when I am next being shouted at on the field of play, of course 😉