January 15, 2005

Halladay Assumes Helm of State Referee Committee
New Leader Pledges Emphasis on Quality, Development & Accountability

Utah Youth Soccer President Paul C. Burke and Utah Soccer Association President Bill Bosgraaf have announced the appointment of Shawn Halladay to serve as the Chairman of the State Referee Committee. Halladay, a National Emeritus grade referee, follows in the footsteps of Randy Ploeger, another referee with a national badge.

Halladay chaired his first meeting of the State Referee Committee on Tuesday, January 11th. Halladay indicated that his priority will be on improving the quality of services---both for the "customers" of officiating services (namely, players and coaches) and for registered referees who are members of the US Soccer family. Halladay also explained that players, coaches, and referees all need to be held accountable for their performance, behavior, and misconduct. He hopes to improve the rate of referee retention---currently, it is estimated that more than a third of registered referees are lost each year---by building mentoring programs and by addressing sideline misconduct by coaches and spectators.

President Paul C. Burke welcomed Halladay's appointment. "I am impressed by Shawn's priorities and focus," Burke said. "I look forward to working with Shawn to help referees in Utah elevate their game."