3 Bajans in referee training

hree Bajans are among 46 up-and-coming referees, five assessors and instructors in training, who are presently undergoing intense theoretical and practical education in Trinidad & Tobago.

Referee Cleon Culley (Concacaf Academy) and assistant referees Keil Howard (Next Gen) and Jeselle Louison (National Federation) are engaging in training during the 2024 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Boys’ Under-14 Challenge Series.

Current FIFA match officials serve as mentors to the rookies. The list includes Mijensa Rensch of Suriname, one of two assistant referees from the Caribbean appointed to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, who officiated in the final as the fifth official.

The referee training forms part of the overall developmental agenda of the Challenge Series. Specifically, it is a continuation of the CFU Next Generation Course initiative, which trains referees for the world stage.

The match officials began intense training that comprised pitch and classroom sessions on August 12, ahead of the kickoff of the competition on August 16.

The administrators held the tournament ceremony on August 15, with Next Gen Administrator and CFU Referee Committee Member Dave Meikle reminding the match officials of the visibility the Challenge Series affords them. He urged them to work hard to seize the opportunity.

“We want you to invest in the tournament with your time and with your zeal to learn and improve,” Meikle said. He asked the match officials to retain all that they learned in the preceding days. He added, “You will now have to show that on the pitch.”

Mark Cahen, Manager of Refereeing Concacaf, encouraged the match officials to set short-term goals that will lead them to their overarching goals of officiating in world games. He reminded them that the task was difficult, and asked them to grow through their mistakes as errors are inevitable.

“Let’s embrace professionalism, learn from our mistakes, and effectively manage the pressure. Together we all can elevate the standards of officiating and continue to inspire the next generation of referees,” Cahen said.

Besides match officials, the program trains referee instructors and assessors. The overarching aim is to have a Caribbean panel of match officials at all world games. Since inception, 17 Next Gen match officials earned their FIFA badges.

The Next Gen staple facilitators are Meikle, FIFA Referee Fitness Instructor Kelesha Antoine, who is also a member of the CFU Referees Committee, FIFA Technical Instructor Dianne Ferreira-James, and Concacaf Fitness Instructor Rohan Thobourne. Each edition of the program includes present and former FIFA match officials, in varying capacities, including as assessors and mentors.

The candidates for the 2024 Challenge Series edition included some new and returning members from 24 countries. The merit-based program is open to match officials from all 31 of the CFU Member Associations, between the ages of 20 and 30, who have the prerequisite skills to matriculate to the FIFA ranks.

(PR/TF)