Seminar for Talent & Mentor Program participants

The Malta FA Refereeing Department organized a three-day seminar (spread over four days) for all participants who at present form part of the Talent & Mentor Program. This is a two-year program through which promising match officials from the lower ranks are closely monitored by a mentor.

Following two successful similar programs between 2011 and 2013 and two years later, the current program which started in October 2015 and will end in May 2017, features eight match officials: Darryl Agius, Christopher Azzopardi, Shaun Calleja, Ivan Galea, Kieran Parnis, Dusan Petrovic, Daniel Portelli and Theodore Zammit. The participating mentors are Philip Agius, Paul Caruana, Gaetano De Gabriele and Stephen Mallia.

The seminar dealt with various topics such as personality, teamwork and cooperation, handball and the handling of key match situations; however, most of the time was dedicated to analyzing the participants’ own performances during the UEFA Development Tournaments for boys and girls that were held in Malta few months ago, under the guidance of Referee Observer Antonio P. Briguglio.

The seminar was coordinated by Acting Director of Refereeing Kevin Azzopardi, who reminded participants that such an opportunity brings along added responsibility to practice what is learnt during such seminars on the field of play, as well as to assist and support other up and coming young match officials.