Calgary, AB - The 2023 Advanced Referee Camp took place on February 18-19 in Calgary, with the aim of helping referees to take their game to the next level. The event brought together a pool of over 70 passionate and dedicated referees from all over Alberta, providing them with cutting-edge knowledge to improve their skills on and off the pitch.

The event was organized by the ARC 2023 organizing committee, which consisted of CDSRA Executive members Rebecca Paquette, Jordan Whittier, Mazen Hassanin, Harsimrit Lakhyan, Guy Napert-Frenette, Richard Sansregret, Laurie Hastings, Laurie Darvill, and Steve Papp. The organizing committee worked tirelessly to ensure that the event was a success.

"We are thrilled with how the 2023 Advanced Referee Camp turned out," said Rebecca Paquette, CDSRA President and organizing committee member. "We wanted to create an event that would provide referees with the tools they need to succeed on the field, and I believe we accomplished that goal."

Mazen Hassanin, another organizing committee member, said, "I’m proud to have helped create an environment where referees could come together, learn from top instructors and share their experiences”. 

The event featured four Canada Soccer national instructors: Layne Greenway and Richard Sansregret from Calgary, and David O'Neill and Sheena Dickson from Edmonton. Two FIFA and MLS referees, Micheal Barwegen from Coaldale, Alberta and Pierre-Luc Lauziere (keynote speaker) from Drummondville, Quebec, were also in attendance. Isaac Raymond, Canada Soccer Manager of Referees, was present at the event as well.

The event was sponsored by several organizations. Principal partners were the Calgary United Soccer Association (CUSA), the Edmonton Minor Soccer Association (EMSA), and the Calgary Women's Soccer Association (CWSA). Meanwhile, the Alberta Soccer Association (ASA), and the Calgary Foothills Soccer Club (CFSC) supported the event as technical partners.

Perri Ford, a mental performance coach from Bell Lap Performance Consulting, provided mental performance coaching to the referees while ORKA Performance held a hands-on training session with referees focusing on optimizing physical performance.

The 2023 Advanced Referee Camp was a resounding success, and the CDSRA Executive would like to put on record its appreciation to all its partners, instructors and attendees for making this a successful event. News on the 2024 version of the Advanced Referee Camp will be made available later this year.

About the CDSRA

Founded in 1983, the Calgary District Soccer Referee Association (CDSRA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing referees to their full potential. We offer several resources to our members including: On-field and in-classroom Integrated Referee Training (IRT) sessions, Assistance with writing misconduct reports, Answers to refereeing questions, CDSRA branded equipment, Discounts & free shipping on referee gear through CDSRA partners, Social/Networking Events & More. We welcome any registered referee with Alberta Soccer to become a member. For more information visit cdsra.org/join