James has been a great addition to the Utah soccer referee community. He has shown a level of maturity that is uncommon among youth referees; he is professional on and off the field and, as a result, has gained the respect of players, coaches, and fellow referees. He arrives to his assignments early and ready to go which gives him an adequate amount of time to inspect the playing field and check-in both teams. He is willing to learn and is constantly looking for feedback to help improve his performance on the field. Not only does he know the rules, but also he understands the purpose behind them and it shows in his use of common sense on the field when he is presented with an unusual situation.

The past year he was selected as a referee to represent Utah at US Youth Soccer's Far West Regional Championships in Boise, Idaho. At the tournament he was selected as the tournaments Most Improved Referee. Early in the tournament he was faced with a tough situation in a game, while acting as the 4th official, where he had to deal with an irate coach. After the game he not only learned from the suggestions made to him by the match assessor but he searched out other referees with more experience, as well as members of the Region IV Staff, for additional suggestions on how to handle the situation. In his next assignments a 4th official, he was proactive and was able to deal with two upset coaches, by calming them down and preventing them from having a negative impact on the game.

James' dedication to give 100% and constantly improve will continue to help him on the field and in other areas of his life. We are looking forward to seeing James grow and improve on and off the field.