Samir Yasa Named State Referee Administrator
Indianapolis, Indiana (June 18, 2008) – The Indiana Adult Soccer Association and Indiana Youth Soccer are pleased to announce the appointment of Samir Yasa to the position of State Referee Administrator (SRA) for a two-year term, effective immediately.
Yasa replaces Daniel Nava who served as SRA for eight years.
The State Referee Administrator (SRA) serves as a liaison between the National Referee Department Office, the National Referee Committee and the State Association(s). The SRA oversees communication, grading of referees, and is responsible for all facets of referee administration including: registration, records, development, discipline, recruiting, assignments and reporting for the referee community at-large.
Yasa is a United States Soccer Federation State Referee, State Assessor, State Instructor, and holds a “B” level National Coaching License. He is a former United States National Referee. He currently serves as a USSF referee and USSF Assessor. He has refereed over 4300 games from youth to the professional “A” League and served for sixteen years as a National Intercollegiate Soccer Official, (NISOA Referee.) He most recently served as the State Youth Referee Administrator (SYRA) from September 2004 to the present.
Beyond his extensive referee resume, Yasa has experience as a player, coach, administrator, fan and parent. He played professional soccer for nine years with the El-Ahly F.C and went on to coach at Middle East College, Beirut, Lebanon. His coaching resume includes stints with high school, club college, amateur, and ODP teams.During Yasa’s service as SYRA, he worked closely with the SRA and Indiana Youth Soccer to address the needs of the referee community by focusing on education, retention, and risk-management in the youth soccer game. He served on Indiana Youth Soccer’s Tournament & Cup Committee, Education Committee, and the Indiana Soccer League (ISL) Advisory Board.
Yasa sees the SRA role as an opportunity to make a difference in soccer by increasing communication and cooperation between the referee community, the Indiana Adult Soccer Association and Indiana Youth Soccer. “I very much look forward to leading the referee community as the SRA, building bridges between the referee community and the state associations,” said Yasa. “I believe that we can all benefit from working together, increasing dialogue and understanding and working towards the best possible environment for soccer in Indiana,” Yasa said.
Indiana Youth Soccer Executive Director Don Rawson was supportive of Yasa’s appointment as SRA, commenting on Yasa’s experience and commitment. “I am very pleased Samir has agreed to serve a two-year term as State Referee Administrator,” said Rawson. “He has a clear understanding of the important responsibility and opportunity he has to help create a better environment for everyone involved in soccer throughout Indiana.”
Indiana Adult Soccer Association President Doug Pels also expressed his confidence in Yasa’s leadership and vision. “After extensive consultation and review of the candidates with the Indiana Youth Soccer Association, we share the belief that Samir is the person to lead our referee community into the future. We look forward to his leadership of the Indiana State Referee Committee and see good things ahead for everyone associated with our game,” said Pels.
Yasa believes his experience as a player, coach, referee and administrator has contributed to his ability to see the game from a variety of perspectives. “I have officiated high level games, played in championships, coached youth and adults and cheered as my child scored his first goal,” explained Yasa. “But at the end of the day, whether you’re on the sidelines, the playing field or the coach’s bench, we are all here for the same reason – the love of the game. Soccer is the beautiful game uniting us through fun, fitness, friendship, and competition. I look forward to working together for the betterment of our sport.”
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About Indiana Youth Soccer – Indiana Youth Soccer serves and educates its membership through the development, promotion and administration of youth soccer in the state of Indiana. Indiana Youth Soccer is a National State Association member of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Youth Soccer Association. Indiana Youth Soccer has a current membership base of over 60,000 youth players, 8,000 active coaches, 3,800 referees and thousands of volunteers through its network of over 140 member clubs across the state of Indiana.
About Indiana Adult Soccer – Indiana Adult Soccer provides for the administration and promotion of soccer in the state of Indiana for all players over the age of 19. Indiana Adult Soccer is a National State Association member of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Adult Soccer Association. Both competitive and recreational leagues exist throughout the state with age ranges from Under-23 to Over-50.