USAWFL Officials Mentorship Program – Mentors
What is Mentorship and Why it Matters?
Officials are a key role in all sports. They are guardians of fair competition, modeling sportsmanship on the field and helping to maintain order through quick decision-making under pressure.
Move United recognizes these skills take time to develop. In order to support new officials who want to get into the sport or who are looking to build their skills, the USA Wheelchair Football League is building a formal mentorship program to allow experienced officials to help train and develop the next generation of officials. We’re looking for Mentors like you to help support this goal.
Mentors will receive a small stipend to cover their monthly mentorship time, as well as support for attending tournaments as follows Move United’s USA Wheelchair Football League Officials compensation policies.
With more than 50,000 people leaving the field of officiating in the last 5 years, helping to develop new officials is crucial to ensure the lasting impact of sports on athlete’s lives for years to come. With a strong officiating pool, the goal is to be able to support athletes, particularly Veterans and Active Duty Service Members, for years to come.
Looking to apply to be a Mentee, click here!
Mentorship Requirements
Are you looking to become a mentor? Review the requirements below. Don't meet the full criteria, but still think you'd be a good mentor? Reach out to football@moveunitedsport.org to discuss your qualifications before applying.
Have Officiating Experience & Commitment to Adaptive Sports
Mentors should have 5+ years of experience as a football official, preferably at the Varsity High School level or above.
In additional to stand-up football officiating, Mentor should have experience officiating adaptive sports (wheelchair football experience preferred). This includes a commitment to growing adaptive sports and treating all adaptive athletes with respect through language choices and actions.
Meet with Mentee Regularly
Mentors should have the ability to commit to a minimum of 1.5 hours per month to meet virtually with Mentees starting in March and leading up to the USA Wheelchair Football League season. Mentor should also be prepared to answer one-off questions between meetings.
Mentor will follow the formally outlined program, along with addressing Mentee-specific topics and questions.
Attend USA Wheelchair Football League Tournaments
Mentors will attend 3 USAWFL Tournaments during the season and commit to serving as both an on-field official and a formal Mentor for the weekend.
Support Mentee Growth
Mentors should commit to learning about Mentee and getting to know their strengths and their concerns to help them grow their officiating skills.
Commitment to Growth & Positivity
Mentors must be able to share their knowledge in a manner that is positive and meets the needs of the Mentee. This may require Mentor to continue to grow their own skills and continue to learn throughout the program.
Report Back to Move United Regularly
Mentors should be prepared to report back on Mentee progress on a regular basis to help Move United continue to build a strong mentorship program and strong officiating pool.
Resources for Officials
Are you looking for resources outside of a mentor relationship? Here are some resources to support you!
USA Wheelchair Football League Rulebook
Download pdf
Officials Video Library
Looking to view video of the sport with tips for officials? A video library will be live in early April in our Move United Member Hub.
USA Football Officials Certification
Are you looking for resources around officials health and wellness, conflict resolution and mental health? USA Football has a great training course with resources to support those areas.
FAQs
Have Questions that Weren't Answered Above? Check out these FAQs. Still have questions? Email football@moveunitedsport.org.
Looking for information on becoming a Mentee? Click Here!
What Time Commitment is Required?
Mentors should plan to commit to 8 months of mentorship (March-October annually) with virtual/phone interactions for a minimum of 90 minutes monthly leading up to the USA Wheelchair Football League Season and 2-3 in-person mentorship sessions at Tournaments each year.
The 90 minutes can be broken up in ways that make sense for the Mentors and Mentees scheduled (i.e. three-30 minute session, two-45 minute session or one-90 minute session).
Is Mentorship a Multi-Year Commitment?
Move United will give priority to Mentors who can commit to 2 years of mentorship, but a minimum requirement is 8 months.
What Topics should Mentorship Cover
Move United will provide a generalized curriculum for you to follow with your Mentees, which will cover the following topics:
- Rules Questions
- On-Field Roles
- Preventative Officiating and Behavioral Management
- Supporting Officials Growth
In addition, Mentors should be encouraged to get to know their Mentees to understand what areas they are looking to grow in and support those growth areas.
What will be the Mentor/Mentee Ratio?
Each Mentor will have two Mentees. Virtual mentorship sessions can include both Mentees as long as each Mentee receives 90 minutes of mentorship monthly leading up to the USA Wheelchair Football League Season.
What Compensation is Provided for Mentors?
Mentors will receive a small fee for their time, along with fees to cover travel to/from tournaments for the in-person mentorship sessions.
What is a Mentor's Role at a Tournament?
Mentors will serve two roles at USA Wheelchair Football League Tournaments. Mentors will serve as officials during games, asking Mentees to watch closely and take note of questions they have during games.
Additionally, Mentors will have time provided to fully focus on their mentorship role, providing on-field coaching to Mentees and taking notes or videoing games to support future mentorship sessions.