Arkansas Referee Committee

ARKANSAS ELDERS

The Arkansas Elders were created by the state Referee Committee in 2007 to aid in the development of the new adult referee. Under the Elders charter, the senior referees (over age 35) selected for the group are to provide mentoring and support for adult referees while maintaining their own training and development.

Key elements of The Arkansas Elders Pledge include:

-- My job is to support referees of all ages in distress; but my primary focus is on adult referees.

-- Whenever the referee in distress is beyond my capacity to support; I will not hesitate to call in additional Elder(s).

-- My goal is senior (over 35) referee development and retention.

-- I will attend referee training whenever possible and stay current on law changes.

-- My uniform will always be appropriate and complete.

-- I will always shine my shoes before my first game of the day.

-- I will strive to be correct and accurate mechanically in every match.

-- I will work at least one tournament a year and, in addition to working games at the tournament, I will watch at least one adult referee on at least one game I am not working.

-- I will never assume that I am smarter or wiser than any other referee and will only offer suggestions or advice when it is desired.

-- The referee code of ethics is sacred and I will not knowingly violate it.

-- Whenever I see a referee perform well; I will let another elder and a member of the SRC know of that referee’s success.

-- The groups long term goal is to contact every new senior (over 35) referee within one week of becoming a referee.

2008 ELDERS

	Pete OConnell became involved in soccer as a coach in 1999 and as a referee in 2002. He also refs volleyball. Pete is the referee assignor for Jacksonville and has two daughters who are youth referees. Pete served for twenty years in the Air Force as a C-130 instructor pilot and evaluator, retiring in 1999, and now works for Lockheed Martin Corporation as a tactical airlift academic and simulator instructor pilot at Little Rock Air Force Base.
Pete OConnell	poconnell03@comcast.net
	Brian Caldwell has been refereeing since 1989 and is also an instructor and an assessor. He is a certified public accountant and a certified depreciation professional who works for Entergy Services Inc. He is from Conway and works primarily in the Conway and Central Arkansas leagues.
Brian Caldwell	bwctkc3@sbcglobal.net
	Cole Farris has refereed since 2001 and has also called tennis matches. He has worked for Acxiom Corp. for more than 20 years and works primarily for the Arkansas Rush program in Conway. He says his coolest thing in soccer was working as an AR on a college-level game ``where things tend to move a bit faster.”
Cole Farris	cole.farris@acxiom.com
	Kelly Kissel started refereeing soccer in 2005 after working American football since 2002. His coolest things in soccer were refereeing the 2007 ODP camp in Starkville, Miss., and working three games as a standby ref at the 2006 Regionals. He credits Don Boss for helping him break bad habits. Kissel is the Arkansas news editor for The Associated Press. His two children are also soccer referees.
Kelly Kissel	lrfcrefs@aol.com
	Van Lamar has been a soccer referee since 2000, after working as a softball umpire since 1972. He works primarily in the Conway and Central Arkansas soccer leagues. He has worked at Acxiom Corp. for more than 20 years. His coolest thing in soccer was working a University of Arkansas scrimmage. He calls Richard Kirkman his most influential mentor.
Van Lamar	vlamar@acxiom.com
	David Rector has been refereeing soccer since 1984 and says the coolest thing about it is having a son who he calls a ``great referee.” Rector typically referees in the Sunday Amateur league and ``others that will let me referee.” For his day job, he is a chief financial officer.
David Rector	cpadr2000@yahoo.com
	Mike Sichmeller’s introduction to organized soccer was coaching his kids’ micro teams. He was `` volunteered” to referee and earned his badge in 2000. ``It has provided me with a great opportunity for exercise the ability to watch some fantastic soccer from an amazing vantage point. Although the position can be challenging at times, I’ve come to understand that all the players, coaches, and fans want to watch their team play to the best of their ability.‘’
Mike Sichmeller	michael_sichmeller@hawkerbeechcraft.com
	Don Boss has been a soccer referee for more than a dozen years, not including time spent as a youth referee in the 1960s. Don also is a referee for wrestling, volleyball and basketball. Each spring, he is the assignor for most, if not all, central Arkansas high school soccer teams.
Don Boss	duboz@aol.com