This week Cornwall FA were delighted to run a Referee Mentoring Course to help increase the support local referees receive in the early stages of their career.

The FA’s Introduction to Referee Mentoring course is intended to equip people with some skills and knowledge to help them support referees in the early stages of their careers. It is the first of three levels of training in a new education pathway for referee mentors and coaches.

The course focusses on three key areas:

• Building rapport and developing relationships
• Observation
• Feedback

Luke Wilkes and Dave Bartlam delivered the course to 17 referees who will now form part of our Volunteer Referee Workforce in supporting our newly qualified referees.

Cornwall FA Referee Development Officer Lee Swabey said, “Providing support to newly qualified referees plays a key role in retaining them in the game long term. A referees first games are daunting and nerve-racking and we hope by having a friendly face on the side of the pitch to support them during this challenging period will help and encourage more of them to continue refereeing.

Our Referee Mentors play a key role in this and we thank them all for their time, commitment and support to our new referees”.

For further information on the refereeing in Cornwall please contact lee.swabey@cornwallfa.com