Professional referees on goal-setting
Professional referees on goal-setting: make sure you have ambitions and goals. That will guide you along the way on your referee career path.
In this blog post tips and advice from top referees like Björn Kuipers, Uefa referee boss Roberto Rosetti, Kateryna Monzul and many more.
Kateryna Monzul: have a dream
First of all, having a dream is very important, because it can be the start of something beautiful. Kateryna Monzul from Ukraine was very happy to be appointed to top tournaments and she tries to achieve her targets. “But when I started to referee, it wasn’t my goal to be a Uefa referee – it was my dream”, she tells Uefa. And later on in her career targets and effort came in to chase her dream. “If you continue to work hard, dreams come true.”
That’s also a tip I wrote earlier about: dream big as referee.
Björn Kuipers: set clear targets
Björn Kuipers started his refereeing career without any goals in mind, but that changed over the years. “I realised when I started that I really liked refereeing, but initially I never had goals.” That’s what he tells on the Uefa website. “It was a case of step by step, wait and see. What helped me was that I had the right people to guide me along the way.” The Dutch referee was 15 years active at the international level after he quit in 2021. “I began to change my way of thinking and really set myself clear targets when I was fortunate enough to be promoted to the elite level.”
Roberto Rosetti:be strict with yourself
Roberto Rosetti is the European referee boss. He wants only the best from the Uefa official, because there are top level games during the whole season. Key factor is maintainiing the highest levels of quality. “We feel, quite rightly, that you’re the best referees in the world”. That’s how he addresses the European referees. “Our goal is for you to keep up your standards. We’re strict with you because we want to keep the bar high.”
That’s also a good lesson for you. Because if you want to reach your goals, you need determination. Be strict when you do you training sessions as well, don’t get lazy.
Anastasia Pustovoitova: look forward and believe in yourself
Anastasia Pustovoitova officiated the Uefa Women’s Champions League final. She’s keen on that appointment, but also is aware you need to look forward. “I just want to keep doing my best and looking ahead.” Of course you need to evaluate your previous games, but the main focus then also should be on how that helps you in the future.
The Russian top match official hopes many youngsters pick up the whistle. “Just do it, if you love football – and believe in yourself…”
Want to know more about evaluating your games? Check the 24-24 rule from Katie Nesbitt, FIFA AR and active in the MLS.
Final advice from top professional referees on goal-setting
In the Uefa documentary Man in the Middle you year lots of tips from professional referees on goal-setting. Anthony Taylor says something that aligns with referee boss Robert Rosetti. “Try to be the best you can be at everything that you do.” And Carlos Del Cerro Grande says he wants to get as many knock-out games as possible, as any of the top referees want. “And of course you want to get as many games as possible in UCL en EL. Always based on performance, which means working as hard as you possibly can.”
Danny Makkelie talked about reaching his goals in the covid season. He was “absolutely happy” with the appointment in Lisbon for a Champions League quarterfinal. “This quarter final is in line with what we try to achieve, because at the beginning of every season we set goals as a team. And one of the goals was: reacht at least a quarter final in UCL.” His season ended even better, because he also was appointed for the Europa League final that year.
Clément Turpin adds that it is crucial to keep your dreams and targets very clear in your mind. “That’s why I continue to train a lot. I continue to work a lot, because if you have just 1 opportunity to achieve this target, I believe I’ll be the 1st to keep it.”
Do you have your goals clear in mind? If not, make sure you do. Here are some tips for effective goal-setting for referees.