YouREF

ongoing

YouRef aims to empower young sports officials through comprehensive training programs, mentorship opportunities, and skill development initiatives. Recognizing the crucial role of officials in maintaining fair play and integrity in sports, this project focuses on nurturing a new generation of referees equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to excel in their roles. The first part of the project will look at the current literature and survey results for a better knowledge of how the YouRef implementation will effectively engage users and their involvement in sports officiating. In addition, the research team will create an original YouRef manuscript that will serve as a thorough guide for coaches, managers, executives, and policymakers in the sports sector. The project will then use this research to include the development of a training programme that will encourage universities to work more closely with local clubs in their communities to recruit, train and implement pathways for young sports officials to ensure the longevity of sports officiating. In addition, the project includes structured training modules for preparing young sports officials with training in areas such as decision-making processes, conflict resolution, effective communication strategies and many more skills that are needed in this profession. Once the training is complete, the partners will conduct a pilot referee training programme for secondary school and university students in partnership with local clubs within the communities within specified countries within the project consortium. After the project, an evaluation will be done to refine the resources that were developed and assess how further improvements can be made for ensuring the longevity of sports officiating within the EU and beyond.