We Are Refs
We Are Refs

Accelerating advancement of sports officials
professionally and personally

    What WE Solve?

    What to Expect?

    What WE Solve?

    Existing systems of developing officials and assisting in the advancement of qualified officials are antiquated and built for the ‘good Ol boy system’ and not true personal progression. 

    How WE Help?

    What to Expect?

    What WE Solve?

    Our belief in creating a qualified official with a leadership mindset to help create more leaders. WeAreRefs helps every official feel supported. We encourage our leaders to become a coach, leading to consistent, whole personal and professional growth, all managed within one simple and intuitive place. 

    What to Expect?

    What to Expect?

    What to Expect?

    Mentally and physically healthy leaders create healthy crews to work out on the field of dreams for our next generation. We are committed to helping you see growth at every level. 

    Always maintain unity to enhance power.

    LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

    INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR SUPPORT / EVENT STAFFING

    INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR SUPPORT / EVENT STAFFING

    People want to be led and developed into outstanding sports officials

    INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR SUPPORT / EVENT STAFFING

    INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR SUPPORT / EVENT STAFFING

    INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR SUPPORT / EVENT STAFFING

     Creating a better experience for the sports contest official by putting the HUMAN back in human resources. As well as finding additional opportunities to showcase their growth. 

    LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

    INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR SUPPORT / EVENT STAFFING

    LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

    Learning Module is an organized collection of content presented together to challenge, provoke insightful thoughts and increase motivation. 

    We are driven to keep sports contest officials from all backgrounds engaged, leveraging their skill sets, and sharing their ideas, and provide a sense of belonging for all.  We will work on continuous improvement plans for our members with Rule Study Groups; NFHS Field and Court Mechanics review; guidelines to meet Local Association Playoff Requirements.

    We are about developing officials

    WeARERefs CORE Principles

    MAKE GREATNESS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE

    MAKE GREATNESS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE

    MAKE GREATNESS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE

    As a leader, our legacy is measured in the success of your followers. Creating branches off this "officials" tree and affording the opportunity to all will always be our goal.

    DON’T LOOK AT THE SCOREBOARD

    MAKE GREATNESS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE

    MAKE GREATNESS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE

    Development is a marathon, not a sprint. Define success then work toward it. Focus your effort on achieving it and know which “little things” matter.

    SEEK SIGNIFICANT CHANGE

    MAKE GREATNESS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE

    ACCELERATING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

    Never settle for the status quo. Never measure yourself against someone else or another organization. If you genuinely want to be the very best you can be for your team, then you need to set the bar high and push them to greatness.

    ACCELERATING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

    ACCELERATING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

    ACCELERATING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

    Our goal is to provide sports contest officials regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexual orientation an equal opportunity to advance themselves professionally and personally. We build authentic relationships with a community of peers who will also give back to support the next generation of young officials.

    BE POSITIVELY PREPARED

    ACCELERATING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

    BE POSITIVELY PREPARED

    Preparation begins with knowing what you're preparing for. And working hard may not get you moving towards the goal if the "right" work is not being done. It is up to you to act in being prepared. Being prepared means being ready to take the first step when the time comes.

    Always maintain unity to enhance power.

    be a part of the solution

    Who we serve

    Each of us was a ROOKIE at some point. We are big on recruiting passionate people and believe the diversity of those recruits is paramount for overall growth of our craft. 

    This group is our core group. We created WeAreRefs for these officials that fall into this group. Experienced official just striving to be the best official he/she can be. This forum will allow you to get some "secret sauce" and seasoning to excel.

    This group of officials will be on a guided path to the college camps and college conference affiliation. We have seasoned Professional and college officials that will provide support and feedback throughout your journey to the next level

    “Sport has the power to change the world." Nelson Mandala

    A starting point to becoming an official

    TTY - Rules - Field - Preparation

     Rules, Field, Preparation program is committed to increasing recruitment; participation and expanding diversity in football and basketball officiating. 

    Leadership Development

    • 1:1 meetings - We believe the 1:1 meeting is the most powerful leadership development tool an official has. We allow collaborative working environments to build meeting agendas, track progress, and ask intentional questions in your 1:1 meetings. Our goal is growth in EVERY meeting.  
    • Better Crew meetings - Stop wasting time on crew group texts and meetings and start leading your team through action-oriented conversations. Whether you're in a 2-person youth crew, 5-person Friday night crew or a 8-person crew preparing for the Super Bowl, stay focused on team efforts  
    • Clear Goals Identified - Every official should have clearly documented goals that allow them to measure success. By keeping these goals front and center, we can track progress and realign priorities to boost financial gain, productivity and clarity.   
    • Prioritizing Our Passionate Officials - Developing people into officials who lead  begins with knowing them deeply. We create profile cards allowing seamlessly access meaningful information about each official for more intentional and effective meetings and to assist in your development path to the next levels. This will also allow us to quickly pull up details such as your team members' unique strengths, how to communicate most effectively with them, their motivations, and more. Thus helping with building stronger crews and better teams.  

    Independent Contractor Support/Event Staffing

    • Build Dynamic Performance Reviews/Evaluations - Say goodbye to the traditional performance review. Reviews should be an opportunity to reiterate feedback, set two-way goals that engage people, and generate a culture of trust.   
    • Health and Wellness - Boost your energy level so you can get more done. We all know that working out helps you manage stress and tension, as well as promotes a positive attitude and outlook. Let's work to maintain a positive self-image and exude self-confidence.  
    • Simplify Independent Contractor transition - You're an independent contractor if you're in business for yourself. You're an employee if you work for someone else's business and are subject to their control. You are in control of your financial future as an independent contractor...let us show you how!  
    • Event Staffing - It doesn’t matter what league or event you run, hiring the best officials for the job is essential to maintain high performance and ensure a better product on the field or in the gym. All our officials are well versed in rules interpretation and concepts of maintaining a good competitive game for your participants. Reach out to inquire about your need for certified officials.

    Learning opportunities

    • Customized Learning - We invest in the growth of the official by assigning customized learning assignments such as videos, podcasts, books, or articles. Most learning assignment will have questions that encourage interactive, thought-provoking responses in the content to develop sports contest officials more intentionally.  
    • Support with understanding officials’ associations - Understanding Robert’s Rules, to ensure all people have a voice in their association's government. Throughout US history, diverse groups of Americans have fought for the right to vote, both because this right is crucial for participating in democracy and because the right to vote is symbolic of the right to belong.  
    • On the field Training - All on the job training requires a more experienced employee who can teach a new employee how to perform their duties. We teach officials the necessary skills without slowing down regular work and without requiring extensive resources while gaining practical guidance. We will hone skills and enable learning of properly mechanics at a rapid pace  
    • Evaluations with Supportive feedback - Regular feedback is critical to the development of an official. We make feedback intentional and allow it to sink in by offering and requesting it in a timely way.  

    Diversity in ACTION

    Big Ten fields a historic

    officiating crew

    (FootballZebras)

    Maia Chaka becomes first Black woman to referee NFL game

    (WFLA) 

    Sonya Essis

    Trailblazing referee Sonya Essis, additional milestones, more (Pennlive)

     Historic First Ever All Female Football Officiating Crew Video (TASO) 

    NFL will make history with Monday night officiating crew (FootballZebras)

    Be a part of the Solution

    We will alert you about upcoming events or if you have any questions or concerns

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