aBOUT US

The Referee Advocates

A fully-integrated referee management organization committed to enhancing youth soccer in Minnesota

Why we exist

Youth soccer in Minnesota has a referee problem. New officials show up, get thrown into a game with little support, take abuse from the sidelines, and quit within their first season. Clubs scramble to cover games. Players lose trust in the process. Everyone loses.

We started The Referee Advocates because we've lived every side of this, as referees, parents, coaches, club leaders, and soccer fanatics. We knew it didn't have to work this way.

Built on over a decade of experience, TRA exists to advocate for referees, provide meaningful development and mentorship, and help clubs create consistent, positive environments where officials can grow and stay in the game. Structured training, on-field mentorship, accountable assigning, and a community that treats officiating as a profession worth investing in.

We envision

A future where game days have been transformed into an ideal playing and working environment for players and referees alike.

OUR VISION

OUR MISSION

We are on a mission

To create a better officiating ecosystem for youth soccer by providing comprehensive referee development programs and management services that empower referees to thrive in their role.

Partner as a Club

We are Our Values

Community trust is the most important thing we'll ever earn, and we build our lasting relationships through our values.

When you take a step towards investing in referees, our work together will have lasting impact felt for years to come.

Integrity

We do what we say we'll do. Every game assignment honored, every referee supported, every promise kept. The youth soccer community has been let down before — that ends with us.

Collaboration

Referees, clubs, coaches, parents, players. None of us makes the game work alone. We build relationships across every part of the soccer ecosystem because that's the only way the system actually improves.

Excellence

Good enough isn't. We hold ourselves to professional standards in how we train, how we assign, and how we show up — and we expect the same from every referee who wears a TRA badge.

accountability

We own our outcomes. When something goes right, we share the credit. When something goes wrong, we don't make excuses. Referees, clubs, and parents can hold us to what we say — and we welcome it.

Behind The Name

The Referee Advocates was created to support the people who make the game possible.

THE

Specific. Definite. Not a group of advocates among many, the organization Minnesota referees turn to. We named ourselves with intention, and we live up to it.

REFEREe

Our entire focus. Not soccer broadly, not coaching, not player development. We exist to support the people in the middle of the field, with the whistle..

ADVOCATES

An advocate fights for someone. Pleads their case. Stands up for them when they can't stand up for themselves. That's us — for every referee, at every level, in every game.

Referees play a critical role in youth sports, yet for years they haven’t received the level of support, development, and recognition needed to thrive. When referees feel prepared, valued, and connected, the entire game-day experience improves for players, coaches, and families.

Meet the Tra crew

Our team brings decades of experience in multiple industries that mirror connected, conscious communities. This team's passion for elevating the officiating ecosystem in youth sports is weaved into the very fabric of our work. Quite simply, they're called to duty and rise to the occasion.