The Referee Experience
The Referee Experience at Convention
Referee Experience Registration
January 16 - 17, 2025- Access to referee education sessions only, exhibit hall access, the referee social.
The 2026 Referee Experience provides officials and officiating leaders resources and the opportunity to network and share their perspectives and experiences. The Referee Experience program focuses on critical topics impacting all aspects of the soccer officiating industry. United Soccer Coaches recognizes the need to include officials into its extended family with the understanding of the importance of sharing common ground as well as the need to improve the communication and cooperation between Referees and Coaches.
Soccer officiating leaders from all levels of competition will be on hand. Representatives from FIFA, CONCACAF, US Soccer, PRO, NCAA, NISOA, US Youth Soccer, State Associations, college conferences, rules-making bodies, local official’s associations, and leagues will be in attendance. Classroom, field sessions and a social will highlight the Experience.
Referee Experience registration includes access to referee education sessions only, the exhibit hall, and socials.
Explore the Program
Check back frequently for updated sessions and presenters. The schedule is subject to change.
Friday, January 16, 2026
| Location | Start Time | Title | Session Type | Presenter |
| CC 107AB | 1:30 PM | Seeing Potential: Choosing Growth Over Perfection | Lecture | Nathan Magill |
| CC 107AB | 3:00 PM | The Brave Self: Owning Your Identity as a Match Official | Lecture | Natalie Simon & Logan Brown |
| CC 107AB | 4:30 PM | The Courage to Change: Embracing Adversity and Growth | Lecture | John Collins |
| M Liberty Ballroom | 6:00 PM | Referee Experience Social | Social |
Saturday, January 17, 2026
| Location | Start Time | Title | Session Type | Presenter |
| CC 107AB | 8:00 AM | Courage and Comebacks |
Lecture | Carol Anne Chenard |
| CC 107AB | 9:30 AM | Breaking Ground: Journey to the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup | Lecture | Krystin Pahia |
| CC 107AB | 11:00 AM | Fighting for the Angle: Positioning for Modern Referees | Lecture | Jeffery Solis |
| CC 107AB | 1:00 PM | Game Management | Lecture | Esse Baharmast |
| CC 107AB | 2:30 PM | Teamwork and AR Involvement | Lecture | Frank Anderson & Kara Honthumb |
Meet The Presenters
Get ready to learn from the best!
The brightest minds in the soccer officiating industry — including professional and collegiate officials, leaders of national, state, and local soccer organizations, supervisors, coordinators, and assigners — will be coming together from across the country and around the world.
Presenters
- Esse Baharmast – FIFA Instructor; U.S. Soccer National Referee Coach; Former FIFA Referee (1998 FIFA World Cup, 1996 Olympics)
- Carol Anne Chénard (CAN) – Former FIFA Referee (2006-2020, 2011/2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2012/2016 Olympics); current FIFA Video Match Official (2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup)
- Nathan Magill – Director, Refereeing Education & Development
- John Collins – National Referee Coach; NCAA National Coordinator of Officials
- Frank Anderson – PRO Manager of Assistant Referees, Former FIFA Assistant Referee (2012-2022), FIFA World Cup (2018)
- Jeffrey Solis (CRC) – Former FIFA Referee (2009-2017), FIFA & Concacaf Instructor
- Krystin Pahia – FIFA Futsal Referee; inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup Philippines 2025
U.S. Soccer Staff Attendees:
- Kari Seitz (Vice President, Refereeing)
- Mat Cheeseman (Senior Manager, Refereeing Operations) – Master of Ceremonies, Operations
- Kara Honthumb (Manager, Refereeing Education & Development) – Presenter support
Enjoy two days of intense and highly motivational sessions to educate and empower you. The Referee Experience provides unmatched resources to state and local associations and delivers critical analysis to officiating leaders everywhere.
The Referee Experience is vital not only to the officiating world, but also to the larger soccer world. We invite anyone with an interest in soccer officiation to take part in the annual Referee Experience.
The annual Referee Experience draws the best and brightest minds in the soccer officiating industry and beyond, focused on the hottest topics and trends in soccer.
Unlike any other officiating event, this experience offers real-life accounts from top-level administrators and professional and collegiate officials.
