It’s that time of the month when we shine the spotlight on another incredible Kent Referee.

We caught up with Ethan, a passionate level Y2 Kent-affiliated referee who, in his first year of refereeing was selected to run the line in the U13s Kent Youth League Cup Final.

Let’s find out more about his journey.

Tell us a little about yourself.

“I am a level y2 referee having been recently promoted. I am 14 years old and I’m currently in year 10 studying for my GCSEs.”

What made you start refereeing?

“My dad is currently a level 5 referee and I have always tried to watch him as much as I could, which inspired me to want to start refereeing myself. I’m very keen to learn and progress through the levels.”

How long have you been officiating?

“I have been officiating now for 9 months.”

Can you tell us about your experience as a Kent FA Match Official?

“My experience so far as a Kent FA match official has been great. I have loved every moment of refereeing and can’t wait for next season already to be able to push on and learn more and gain more experience.”

What have been the highlights of your officiating career so far?

“My highlight to date as a match official has to be the moment, I got an email saying that I had been selected to be running the line in the U13s Kent Youth League cup final at the Gallagher Stadium. I couldn’t believe it as I’m only in my first-year refereeing. The whole experience was amazing, and I enjoyed every minute of it.”

What difficulties/challenges have you experienced as a referee?

“I’m quite early on in my refereeing career but my biggest challenge must be my ability to communicate with team managers that try to influence me because of my age.”

If you could give any potential new referees some advice, what would it be?

“What helped me the most was watching other referees. I have learned a lot from them, and it is a good way to get into good habits early on. My other bit of advice would be to start with younger age group games and build confidence and experience before moving up to the older age groups.”

Great advice, Ethan. We look forward to supporting Ethan on his journey.

If you are interested in becoming a referee, check out our Get Into Refereeing page.