Member of the Month: Frank Nemeth
The CDSRA Member of the Month features referees of different ages, levels, and backgrounds to reflect the diversity in our referee community and our association. Our May 2024 Member of the Month is Frank Nemeth.
Questions & Answers:
Q: Current Referee Level & Highest level attained:
A: I am currently a District Level Referee.
Q: When did you begin, and what motivated you to start refereeing?
A: In 2016, I noticed a poster for an entry-level Referee course at our local soccer office and decided to enroll with my son. Despite my background as a player and coach, I was surprised by the amount of information. The entry-level course, particularly stepping onto the field as a novice referee, proved to be a profound experience for me.
Prior to 2019, I balanced playing, coaching, and occasionally refereeing. That year, I made the decision to step away from coaching and fully commit to my first full season of officiating. Since then, I've dedicated myself to refining my skills and enhancing my performance whenever possible.
Q: What has been your most enjoyable game/memory of your referee career?
A: It's hard to pick just one experience from many, but in 2022 at the ACAC Championships I met some Next Gen CDRSA members and Assessors. Being assessed and working with these inspiring, professional, inclusive individuals was a great opportunity.
The following year marked a significant milestone as I officiated my first AMSL Men’s matches and my debut ACAC & U Sports Women's and Men's matches.
With supportive mentors, colleagues, and valuable feedback from CDRSA assessors, these two years have been the most enjoyable and exciting of my refereeing journey.
Q: What do you love most about refereeing?
A: There are many things I love about refereeing: the preparation and analysis of matches, the challenge of obtaining that elusive perfect match, collaborating with like-minded referees, and the responsibility of ensuring a good match for players, fans, and coaches.
I enjoy refining my skills as a referee through feedback from assessors, colleagues, CARD and IRT sessions, weekly quizzes, and preparing for the Canada Soccer upgrade exam.
Q: When did you first become a CDSRA member and what encouraged you to join?
A: Continuously enhancing my refereeing skills has always been a goal of mine. After serving as an Assistant Referee in an ACAC match in the Fall of 2019, I set a goal to officiate at the center of an AMSL match.
Working with an excellent team at the 2022 ACAC championships set me on a path of inquiry and in February of 2023, I joined CDRSA based on a recommendation from a member.
Being part of CDRSA has provided me with the education and connections necessary to reach my goals.
Q: What advice would you give to somebody just starting out refereeing?
A: I would invite all novice referees seek out mentors, absorb as much information as they can, take on as many match assignments as possible regardless of their role, reflect on their experiences and learn from your mistakes, set clear goals, attend educational opportunities whenever possible, and most importantly, have fun!
Q: What do you do outside of refereeing and what are some of your interests?
A: As a High School Science/Math/Computer Teacher, I've dedicated much of my time to refereeing in recent years. Recently, I completed the instructor course adding another layer to my officiating journey.
Before refereeing, I played for many years, coached teams from U6 to U18 levels and was involved with Judo. When I'm not involved in sports or teaching, I enjoy traveling, cooking, gardening, exercising, DIY projects, and savoring a delicious shot of espresso in the sunshine.