Girls ECNL Announces H.E.R. Referee Scholarship Program

RICHMOND, VA (October 22, 2018) – The Girls Elite Clubs National League is excited to announce the launch of the H.E.R. Referee Scholarship Program to help aspiring female referees begin their referee development and education as soccer officials. The H.E.R. (Health & Education Resources) Platform has provided information and development opportunity and resources for female players and coaches for several years, and will expand to include referees this year.

The H.E.R. Referee Scholarship Program will provide scholarships for current or former ECNL players to take the US Soccer Federation National Referee Grade 8 or Grade 7 courses, and will help them begin or advance a career as a referee.  Select scholarship recipients will be invited to attend an ECNL National Event to provide additional learning and evaluation opportunities.

“We are excited to create a program to help more young female players become referees, and to engage more with the referee community” said Girls ECNL Commissioner Jen Winnagle.  “Whether these girls use their referee certification to begin a part-time job while they are playing, or as the first step in a long-term career as a referee, we think having more young female referees will have a great impact on the game, ultimately at every level.”

US Soccer Referee Courses are offered all over the country, and selected players may take their course at any location convenient to them.  To be eligible, candidates must:

  • Have been an ECNL registered player at some point in their youth career
  • Aspire to referee or currently referee within the women’s game
  • Complete the online application

Additional features of the H.E.R. Referee Program will be announced in the coming months.

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About Girls Elite Clubs National League: The Girls Elite Clubs National League (Girls ECNL) was founded in 2009 to enhance the developmental experience of female youth soccer players in the United States through: (i) improving the competitive environment through creation of a true national competitive league; (ii) improving the process for identifying elite female soccer players through a systematic scouting and identification program based on national competitions; and (iii) improving the daily training environment at top female youth soccer clubs through developing best practices and training and organizational guidelines for its member clubs. The ECNL is sanctioned by US Club Soccer and is sponsored by Nike Soccer.

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