Imagine being a referee for an adult league, well sophomore Emmanuel Silva is.
Silva is a certified referee and has taken his talents to referee the Sunday League at UNC. Refereeing Sunday League isn’t for the weak, but Silva has accepted the challenge and has been reffing there for three weeks.
Silva is mostly a linesman referee, but on occasion, he takes the job as central ref. No matter what, he still enjoys refereeing Sunday League as he likes to watch them play, considering he’s a soccer player as well here at Greeley West. “I enjoy watching them play and see that they are still able to play,” Silva said.
Silva become a certified referee through US Soccer Program. This isn’t his first time refereeing, as he has refereed club soccer as well as middle school soccer.
Obviously, being a referee isn’t easy, as all referees have to deal with the parents or the players disagreeing with their calls. But for Silva, the thing he doesn’t like the most about refereeing is all the running. “I don’t like all the running, especially when it’s hot outside because I be sweating a lot,” Silva said.
Silva only committed to refereeing for one reason: money. On Sundays, he makes about $200 cash from refereeing four games – not a bad side job. But he doesn’t see himself becoming a professional referee, as he only likes to do it as a little side gig. If the opportunity came to become something big in the referee industry, he would take it. “For now, yeah I do. But hopefully in the future I can get a better job,” Silva said.
