USAWFL Officials Mentorship Program – Mentees
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. If you’re someone who is new to the field of officiating and wanting to get a more hands-on training experience, then this program is for you! 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.
This program is funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Veterans with disabilities are highly encouraged to apply.
Looking to apply to be a Mentor, click here!
Mentee Requirements
Are you looking to become a mentee? Review the requirements below. Don't meet the full criteria, but still think you'd be a good mentee? Reach out to football@moveunitedsport.org to discuss your qualifications before applying.
Have Limited Officiating Experience or Interest in Officiating Wheelchair Football
Mentees should have one year or less experience in officiating wheelchair football.
Mentees should be actively pursuing an interest in officiating through commitment to participating in the 2025 USA Wheelchair Football League season and a commitment to working with local teams, if available,
Base Level Knowledge of Wheelchair Football Rules and Officiating
Mentees should come to the program with a base understanding of the knowledge of football rules, particularly wheelchair football rules, and a commitment to keeping up on changes within the sport.
A rulebook will be provided to support this learning, but Mentors cannot be expected to teach Mentees every rule of the sport of football.
Mentees who also understand the basics of officiating (i.e. on-field roles, penalty rulings, etc.) will have a better chance of selection.
Meet with Mentor Regularly
Mentees should have the ability to commit to a minimum of 1.5 hours per month to meet virtually with their Mentor starting in March and leading up to the USA Wheelchair Football League season.
Mentorship will follow the formally outlined program, along with addressing Mentee-specific topics and questions.
Attend USA Wheelchair Football League Tournaments
Mentees will attend a minimum of 1 USAWFL Tournament during the season and commit to serving as a supporting role by actively watching games, asking questions of their Mentor and learning more about on-field roles.
Mentees who complete the full program will be asked to officiate a minimum of one game during the season to help continue their skill building.
Commitment to Growth & Positivity
Mentees must be able to take in new information and commit to learning in a manner that is positive and supports the growth mindset of the USA Wheelchair Football League. This may require Mentee to continue to grow their own skills outside of formal mentorship sessions.
Report Back to Move United Regularly
Mentees should be prepared to report back on their progress and provide feedback on their Mentor 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 Mentor? Click Here!
What Time Commitment is Required?
Mentees should plan to commit to 8 months of mentorship (March-October annually) with virtual/phone interactions with their Mentor for a minimum of 90 minutes monthly leading up to the USA Wheelchair Football League Season and 2 in-person mentorship sessions at Tournaments each year.
Online mentorship can be broken up into time chunks that make sense for the Mentor and Mentee as long as it meets the 90 minute minimum. i.e. two 45 minute Zoom calls, or three 30 minute phone calls, or one 90 minute session, as appropriate.
What Topics will Mentorship Cover
Move United will provide a generalized curriculum for Mentors to follow to ensure Mentees have the knowledge base they need on-field. This will cover the following topics:
- Rules Questions
- On-Field Calls
- On-Field Roles & What to Watch in Each Role
- Preventative Officiating and Behavioral Management
- Supporting Officials Growth
In addition, Mentees should be encouraged to let their Mentors know what areas they are looking to grow in and what they might need to 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 Mentees?
In addition to the education and mentorship of an experienced official, Mentees will receive the following benefits*:
- Flight to 2 tournaments
- Shared lodging at 2 tournaments (Friday & Saturday night)
- Officials Shirt
- Officials Cap
- Coin Toss Coin
- Flags
- Bean Bags
- Hand Down Indicator
*Mentees will have to have successfully participated in their virtual training for March-June prior to this benefit being provided.
What is a Mentee's Role at a Tournament?
Mentees who are successfully enrolled in the program* will be asked to attend 2 tournaments. The first tournament attended, the Mentee will serve in a shadow role with their Mentor helping to share knowledge with them. The second tournament attended, the mentee will serve as an official for at least one game with support from their Mentor official.
*Mentees will have to have successfully participated in their virtual training for March-June prior to this benefit being provided.