Toowoomba Grammar School (TGS) has experienced impressive success this season, not just on the pitch, but through the growth of its emerging Match Officials development program.
At the beginning of the year, TGS Head of Football Nigel Fanning partnered with Football Queensland to host a referee course on campus, to create opportunities for participants not just from TGS, but for the entire Darling Downs community, to become qualified community referees.
“As the Head of Football, I want our boys to be connected to the game in every way possible, including providing an opportunity to become referees,” Fanning said.
“My aim is to be a positive influence on young players to support the game both in school and in our football community.”
From the referee course, several TGS students, and more from the wider community have now been used by FQ within Darling Downs Junior competitions and have gained valuable experience by officiating games in the GPS system. The refereeing route aids the students in their journey into the workforce, providing an environment where they can learn new skills in a situation that requires commitment and engagement.
Through the efforts of these young referees, TGS achieved near-complete officiating coverage this season, appointing a centre referee and two assistant referees across 33 teams in different year levels.
“We need to ensure we have young referees who have a chance to learn the game in a less competitive environment,” Fanning said.
“It is critical that our games have qualified officials, which are always difficult to find, so we are glad to provide a safe entry for students into the referee universe.
“Many TGS games are now refereed by our own students and more importantly, we have provided Football Queensland with a group of referees to meet their growing demand.”
Following the success of the initial course, TGS recently delivered a second FQ Referee Course during the school holidays, once again equipping more students and community members with the skills and qualifications to begin their refereeing journey. The course took place at the end of the GPS season, allowing newly trained referees an opportunity to gain match experience for the remainder of the community football season.
“The school will clearly need to run courses such as this every year to keep the pipeline flowing. My aim is to ensure we support Football Queensland by providing the entry route for aspiring Match Officials into the referee pathway,” Fanning said.
“It’s imperative that we all work together to ensure our school and community fixtures have qualified referees who are up to date with the Laws of the Game. Helping students to access this course in their own school setting seems to make it less confronting and it has certainly been a success.”
Football Queensland praised TGS’s proactive approach as a model for how schools can engage with referee development.
“We’re thrilled with the impact Toowoomba Grammar School has had in growing the next generation of referees,” said Brad Burton, Manager – Officials Strategy at Football Queensland.
“Their commitment to not only running referee courses, but also providing real match experience in a supportive environment, shows how schools can play a pivotal role in strengthening the referee pathway, setting a fantastic blueprint for schools and clubs to follow throughout the state.”
TGS’s success highlights the tangible benefits of delivering Football Queensland’s referee courses in schools – offering students a unique way to stay involved in the game while helping to address the statewide drive to recruit more qualified Match Officials.
Schools interested in running a referee course and contributing to their local football community can contact Football Queensland’s Referee Department via referees@footballqueensland.com.au with subject heading ‘School Referee Program.’
