Teal Shirt Campaign
Celebrating and Supporting our First Year Referees.
What we are doing
First year refs deserve to be protected, supported and mentored as they progress on their officiating journey. All newly graduated referees are supplied with a Teal Shirt to wear on match day. The Teal Shirt is a reminder that these match officials are new to officiating and are still learning.
1/3 of referees stated that they experienced abuse from players, parents, spectators or coaches in the 2021-22 indoor season. This campaigned is designed to decrease harassment and by doing so, increase retention. It is important that our referee's want to continue with refereeing and have the resources they need to progress.
In order to provide more support, all newly graduated referees will be paired with a mentor referee to help assist in match officiating and conflict resolution. We hope this contributes to creating a better Calgary soccer culture.
Referees need to feel like they are in a safe space in order to effectively grow, learn and progress. In order to grow the sport of soccer in our city, we must ensure all member groups feel respected and valued.
We appreciate our referees.
Click here to check out the Teal Shirt's in action.
Click here to get a broader overview of this campaign.
Click here to go to the Teal Shirt Campaign Webpage