Mr. Wilson, Referee Coach

I am so sad for Jim's family and friends. He loved you. I know this because he said so. I will miss you, Jim. We all will.

And he did it for free; as State Referee Administrator Jim earned a salary of $0.00 for tens of hours of work each week. Few people truly understand how indebted we are to Jim.

facebook.com/nrdp.soccer/po… Jim McVay was my friend and colleague for over twenty years. He was a man of integrity and character, and he was a pain in the ass in just the right way. Jim and I comforted each other through family drama; he guided me through a slippery legal issue

So they can see what referees see? Why Soccer Players Are Training in the Dark wired.com/story/why-socc…

Not bad for a guy who never played the game.

Wayne contributed to Nebraska soccer as a referee, instructor, assessor, assignor, State Referee Administrator, coach, and fan. He participated in thousands of matches and directly impacted tens of thousands of referees, players, and coaches.

Saturday, my dad, Wayne Wilson, was inducted into the NE State Soccer Hall of Fame for Lifetime Achievement as a Referee. His work led to the Nebraska Referee Development Program we know today. I had the honor of delivering his acceptance speech on his behalf. I am proud of him.

Find me on Bluesky: @ref.coach bsky.app/profile/ref.co…

Good morning, @nsaahome. I have a proposal for the Spring 2025 season...

@pointy007 @JaredTubaugh @nickrubekOWH @nebraska_talk * The Referee was calm and confident. He handled himself well. * Kudos to the defender who corralled his teammate and led him away. Great leadership.

@pointy007 @JaredTubaugh @nickrubekOWH @nebraska_talk * Should the AR speak up if they disagree? No. Should the AR speak up if they have information they believe the Referee is missing? Yes. That's a critical distinction. * The Referee's angle and distance were practically perfect for seeing this incident.

Millard West vs Omaha Benson this evening. Straight red issued to MW. Can anyone explain how this is a straight red? @NRDP_Soccer @nickrubekOWH @nebraska_talk

@doug_effle What time and where?

@MrWRefCoach On a side note, are you or Wayne busy at 6:45 tomorrow? My son’s U11 NYSL game does not have a referee and I make a way better capacity than I do a referee.

It just dawned on me that I am the age my father was when he and I first became licensed referees together. That was 30 years ago.

Do you know the steps refs have to take in order to graduate from the Training League? Learn more @ nysleague.org

@OffsideModeling I wish you and your daughter the best! If you ever have reffing or Laws questions, I'm happy to help.

@MrWRefCoach but still, it's just so much easier when you aren't the one doing the thing. I expected that and I was still absolutely shocked by it all.

At least nothing happened today when I was out doing my 5th and 6th games (ever) at AR (U11 and U12, so half fields). *Checks notifications* Oh dear... Ok, just a second guys.

@OffsideModeling I have been doing this for so long that it's easy for me to forget all the challenges inexperienced referees face on every match -- the very same challenges I went through to get to where I am today. Your thread was a humbling reminder. Thank you!

@OffsideModeling It is wonderful to hear that you've started reffing with your daughter! My father and I started our reffing journeys together 3 decades ago. I have so many wonderful memories from matches we worked together, trips we took, etc.