[Image: Albert Perez/Football Queensland]
Sunshine Coast referee Rachel Mitchenson has been selected for the AFC’s Project Future Referee Development Program, a unique development program for Asia’s top emerging officials.
Mitchenson, a Westfield W-League and PlayStation® 4 National Premier Leagues referee, has been chosen alongside South Australia’s Maddison Kennedy following strong performances at the AFC U-14 Girls Regional Championships in Vietnam in June 2015.
The former Football Queensland Referee of the Year sealed one of the program’s coveted places by standing out at the AFC Project Future Selection Course in Kuala Lumpur in November.
Rachel Mitchenson refereeing at last year’s AFC U-14 Girls Regional Championships in Vietnam.
The news comes just days after Brisbane’s Lara Lee was selected to receive the 2016 National Officiating Scholarship.
Mitchenson, who began refereeing at the age of 14, follows several Queensland contemporaries into the program, which originally launched in 2007.
“Project Future is a brilliant learning opportunity and I look forward to taking my refereeing to the next level. The theoretical and practical training throughout the courses are of the highest quality,” Mitchenson told footballaustralia.com.au.
“It is such an honour to follow in the footsteps of other Queensland referees to have gone through Project Future, such as Jarred Gillett, Alex King and Casey Reibelt.
“I’ve seen first-hand how it has assisted their development and advanced their refereeing careers – I endeavour to do the same.”
The first course will be held from 25 February – 1 March at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur.
Register now as a referee for the 2016 season at www.playfootballqld.com.au!
