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Referees

250 New Officials Obtain Qualification at Referee Schools

By Ontario Minor Hockey Association, 10/02/17, 11:00AM EDT

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Three schools offered start of Refereeing Experience

The Ontario Minor Hockey Association and Force Sports, the official sponsor of the OMHA Referee Program, hosted three Referee Schools over the last two weeks to train and mentor new officials. The schools in Trenton, Windsor and Guelph were part of the program’s 23rd year of providing new officials with the start of their officiating experience.

The OMHA Referee Schools offer new officials the methods and procedures of officiating in both the 2 and 3 official systems. They instruct uniform interpretation of the rules while teaching effective communication strategies and techniques. By completing the weekend, students acquired officiating skills and rule knowledge while gaining OMHA and Hockey Canada certification requirements for the upcoming season.

The weekend included an intensive, action packed agenda with three classroom instructional sessions, two on-ice training sessions and a final written certification exam.

“The Schools set the foundation for our new officials, providing the students a learning environment in the classroom that encourages participation and active on-ice modules which illustrate the fundamentals of the Officiating Program,” said Dave Wedlake, Chair, Referee Program for the OMHA. “We have been delivering the Referee School Program for over 20 years which indicates the high standard and value of this program.”

There are over 850 new referees trained each year in the Ontario Minor Hockey Association with 250 graduating from the OMHA Referee School program. There are currently over 4,500 active officials registered with the OMHA.

"Referees are a vital part of the hockey community and the OMHA is proud to host these Referee Schools to welcome the next generation of officials to minor hockey,” stated Ian Taylor, OMHA Executive Director. “There are many ways to get involved with hockey and being a Referee allows for them to continue fostering a love for the game."

In Trenton, Brad Lee (Ajax) and Doug Robitaille (Whitby) were awarded Most Promising Official.

Get involved or find more information on the Ontario Minor Hockey Association’s Referee Program.

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