Referee of the Month: Raul Briseno Hernandez
The CDSRA Referee of the Month features referees of different ages, levels, and backgrounds to reflect the diversity in our referee community and our association. Our September 2024 Referee of the Month is Raul Briseno Hernandez.
Questions & Answers:
Q: Current Referee Level & Highest level attained:
A: I am a Provincial Referee
Q: When did you begin, and what motivated you to start refereeing?
A: On September 28th will be 29 years since I did my first game as a Referee in my hometown Jerez, Zacatecas, Mexico at the age of 14.
I was playing in U-12 when a referee cautioned me for asking him a question, so I got so mad and I decided to buy a law book and learn the rules so I could prove the referee that he was wrong with the caution he gave me; after that I did one U-8 game and I liked it and continued until now. I stopped playing when I was 13 years old, and I have not played since then, just refereed.
Q: What has been your most enjoyable game/memory of your referee career?
A: In Mexico I was able to do high level games as an AR in the Second Professional Division from 2000 to 2003. As a Referee, my most memorable game has been the AMSL Challenge Cup Final last year (2023) between Edmonton Scottish and Edmonton Green and Gold here in Calgary where Edmonton Scottish won 1-0 in extra time. My most important game will probably be Mount Royal University vs University of Calgary which is going to be played on September 28th because I have decided that this game will be my last game as a Provincial Referee.
Raul in the AMSL Challenge Cup Final, 2023.
Q: What do you love most about refereeing?
A: What I love more about refereeing is, as everyone knows, to show red cards, well deserved of course.
Raul in the AMSL Challenge Cup Final, 2023.
Q: When did you first become a CDSRA member and what encouraged you to join?
A: I first became a CDSRA member in 2008, but there have been some years that I did not renew my membership. Currently I am and, I decided to become a member to have more training in some special topics and to get assignments in higher divisions an higher leagues
Q: What advice would you give to somebody just starting out refereeing?
A: My advice to new referees in to keep learning and participating in as many training sessions as they can and to ask questions to seniors referee so they can get better and better every time.
Q: What do you do outside of refereeing and what are some of your interests?
A: Outside refereeing I am a HVAC Journeyman graduated from Sait but I also have a Chemistry degree from a Mexican University. I love spending time with my family (wife, daughter and son) and really enjoy walking my dog Nova.