MIAMI, Florida – Concacaf’s leadership in the area of refereeing will take another step forward next week with the third edition of the Concacaf Program of Refereeing Excellence (PORE).
Twelve referees from various Member Associations will convene at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida ahead of the Concacaf Boys’ Under-15 Championship to begin their second 3-week course involving daily on-field training sessions, classes, refereeing in games and fitness tests.
The 12 referees at this year’s PORE, which kicks off on July 30, will officiate matches in the Under-15 tournament as part of the certification process, which also includes the critical element of fitness tests that all participants must pass in order to graduate.
“The objective is that after six weeks of training we are confident that these referees can return to their Member Associations with a new commitment and passion for the game,” said Concacaf Director of Refereeing Brian Hall in an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com.
“Our instructors are working diligently so that these referees have more tools. Our goal is that in the next 2-4 years that new passion will drive the referees into Concacaf’s refereeing core and allow them to officiate in tournaments such as the Gold Cup,” added Hall.
In its third year, the PORE is an educational platform in which Member Associations nominate up-and-coming referees to participate in the program, which is administered by Concacaf’s Manager of Refereeing Jaime Herrera.
The sessions are led by Technical Instructor Peter Prendergast of Jamaica and Fitness Instructor John Westbrooks of the United States.
“This is a great opportunity for both female and male referees to develop skills and passion. The results are significant: Of our 23 previous graduates, six have moved on to become FIFA referees, including Ivan Barton of El Salvador, who refereed the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup semifinal,” said Hall.
In addition, five of the six graduates who received FIFA Referee certification served as fourth officials in the 2019 Gold Cup.
The following is the list of referees attending Concacaf’s 2019 PORE:
- Luis Garcia Rodriguez, Mexico
- Melvin Herrera Morales, Honduras
- Cole Shoemaker, Canada
- Brayan Cruz Miranda, Costa Rica
- José Eduarte, Costa Rica
- Natalie Simons, United States
- Bradley Doubrough, Canada
- Reinaldo Sequeira Fallas, Costa Rica
- Kwinsi Williams, Trinidad & Tobago
- Sebastian Noshinravani, Canada
- Victor Rivas, United States
- Saphire Stockman, Costa Rica
