APPLICATIONS FOR WISER COMMITTEE
The Ontario Soccer Association Referee Department is actively seeking applications from females in the soccer community at large for a Women In Soccer initiative that began in 2010. The specific role of this program is to promote, mentor and support females referees, instructors and assessors.
The term is March 1, 2013 to January 31, 2015.
The Role of WISER
· Promote and support the recruitment, development and retention of female soccer referees, instructors and assessors.
Summary of Qualifications
· Have the necessary expertise and understanding of the female game
· Have a desire to make a positive difference
· Current referee in good standing with the OSA – minimum of District level with 3 years experience
· Have relevant organizational and governance experience, or equivalent
· Ability to be an effective team member, recognizing and embracing diversity
· Have the ability to participate personally in a minimum of 4 meetings per year with work in between meetings – possibility of conference calling available
· Prepared to take a lead role in subcommittees as needed
· Ability to commit to average of 2-3 hours per week depending on season
· Prepared to act as a positive role model, cheerleader and mentor
· Excellent communication skills
· Competency in computer applications
· Agree to abide by the OSA’s conflict of interest and the published rules, and the Code of Conduct
If you are interested in a position on this committee, please submit a one page synopsis of who you are, and why you feel you would benefit the female soccer community.
The deadline for submission for WISER is February 22nd by 5:00pm EST. Applications should be emailed to Nicky Pearson, Manager, Referee Development at npearson@soccer.on.ca.
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Female Initiative
W.I.S.E.R.
Women In Soccer Enhancing Referees – a new and exciting female initiative from the OSA.
The goal of the OSA W.I.S.E.R. initiative is to establish a program that will support and retain female soccer referees, and impart them with the tools to excel and advance, including:
- Facing the challenges of being a female soccer referee.
- Developing an action plan that will assist with increasing registration and retention numbers for female officials.
- Identifying specific officiating opportunities.
- Recruiting more females into the OSA instructing and assessing programs.
Females leave soccer as officials, instructors and leaders partly due to inadequate opportunities to participate at a higher level and develop their skills. Other contributing factors include the perception of a male dominated environment; lack of female role models; and family or educational responsibilities.
We believe that support systems must be implemented to sustain women in these roles. Of 10,600 registered soccer referees in Ontario, only 9.5% are female.
Our largest attrition rate is female referees between the ages of 16 and 25; the noted reasons are:
- Lack of confidence
- Limited role models/mentors within the soccer community
- Societal pressures; including family and educational commitments
- Lack of professional development opportunities within the sport
- Dissent and Abuse
We will build confidence by providing a safe networking and learning environment; we will develop role models by identifying mentors and leaders and including them in the program; we will breakdown societal pressures by continuing to market and showcase the females in our program and putting them in roles that highlight their strengths; and lastly we will provide female only courses, set up a mentoring and coaching system and invite community and industry leaders to provide professional development opportunities, on and off the field.
The main advisory task force will include industry leaders, officials of different age brackets and potential mentors.
For more information, email WISER Chair, Patty Pebbles refhre@cogeco.ca or Manager, Referee Development npearson@soccer.on.ca