A&H

I got another email yesterday---

santa sangria

RefChat Addict
And it looks like I will go to Cascais again in 2020!

I've previously attended two Iber Cup tournaments thanks to Referee Abroad and I am very happy to get the chance to attend Cascais for a second time.

If you are interested then I recommend applying to Referee Abroad's 2020 tournaments now because places are being allocated already now that applications are open.

The change this year is that they have raised the fees (from 50 to 130 GBP/EUR) for Cascais. So it's not free - when you factor in flights and probably 50 a night if you want a twin room rather than the free dorm - but for me easy to justify, especially as a unique training opportunity and also if I compare to doing some other week-long "extreme sports" holiday!

There have been questions before about the Iber Cups and how the refereeing is organized, the practical stuff etc. Cascais is pretty complex with something like 30 pitches across Cascais-Estoril, massive tournament, 60 plus international referees, last year teams like Juve, Real, Blackburn U15s, Benfica U9 (eventful!)... I was totally happy with the organization. Yes, you have to get up early and make it across town for long days of games... not everyone can get a glamour final in big stadium - if there's only 3-4 big finals, that's only 9-12 officials on the field!... There's always the wish for more assessors... though TBH last year was pretty awesome with Bobby Madley (ex Prem) and Rob Atkin (current champo AR) giving lots of advice plus various other experienced assessors.

Anyway, if you are thinking about it, get your application in now. Barcelona is a great first tournament... and there are others at http://www.refereeabroad.com/tournaments/
 
The Referee Store
And it looks like I will go to Cascais again in 2020!

I've previously attended two Iber Cup tournaments thanks to Referee Abroad and I am very happy to get the chance to attend Cascais for a second time.

If you are interested then I recommend applying to Referee Abroad's 2020 tournaments now because places are being allocated already now that applications are open.

The change this year is that they have raised the fees (from 50 to 130 GBP/EUR) for Cascais. So it's not free - when you factor in flights and probably 50 a night if you want a twin room rather than the free dorm - but for me easy to justify, especially as a unique training opportunity and also if I compare to doing some other week-long "extreme sports" holiday!

There have been questions before about the Iber Cups and how the refereeing is organized, the practical stuff etc. Cascais is pretty complex with something like 30 pitches across Cascais-Estoril, massive tournament, 60 plus international referees, last year teams like Juve, Real, Blackburn U15s, Benfica U9 (eventful!)... I was totally happy with the organization. Yes, you have to get up early and make it across town for long days of games... not everyone can get a glamour final in big stadium - if there's only 3-4 big finals, that's only 9-12 officials on the field!... There's always the wish for more assessors... though TBH last year was pretty awesome with Bobby Madley (ex Prem) and Rob Atkin (current champo AR) giving lots of advice plus various other experienced assessors.

Anyway, if you are thinking about it, get your application in now. Barcelona is a great first tournament... and there are others at http://www.refereeabroad.com/tournaments/
I am making my first trip to Cascais next year having completed 3 years at Estoril, 1 year at Paris and 1 year at the Madrid Sur Cup (no longer part of the refereesabroad family).

I echo what @santa sangria says, about the opportunities available. If you want a seasons' worth of feedback from some very experienced observers/assessors/referees, then make an application to travel with refereesabroad.com.

If anyone wants to know how the tournaments work, give me or @santa sangria a shout and I'm sure, like me, he'll be happy to provide details.
 
I'd love to do one

But feel the Mrs might not be too keen on me going off galavanting over Europe without her!
 
I'd love to do one

But feel the Mrs might not be too keen on me going off galavanting over Europe without her!
Well, I will be leaving Ms Sangria and two little ones at home for the third time. Ms Sangria has been very supportive. I am over 40 so there are only so many more years I can do this - which maybe helps.

Cascais is good quality and intense so it’s not realistic as a participant to turn it into a holiday.

I explain away my guilt a bit like an extreme sports holiday. You can go mountain biking in Slovenia, road racing in Spain, ultramarathon this, kite surfing the other... or ref for 6 hours a day for a week.

And @Brian Hamilton I really look forward to meeting you and fingers crossed for some brutal assessments!
 
Well, I will be leaving Ms Sangria and two little ones at home for the third time. Ms Sangria has been very supportive. I am over 40 so there are only so many more years I can do this - which maybe helps.

Cascais is good quality and intense so it’s not realistic as a participant to turn it into a holiday.

I explain away my guilt a bit like an extreme sports holiday. You can go mountain biking in Slovenia, road racing in Spain, ultramarathon this, kite surfing the other... or ref for 6 hours a day for a week.

And @Brian Hamilton I really look forward to meeting you and fingers crossed for some brutal assessments!

The reffing 6 hours a day also doesn't sound appealing! I'm 10 years younger (or so) but my knees kill the day after 1 game! Not sure how I'd manage running for that long!
 
The reffing 6 hours a day also doesn't sound appealing! I'm 10 years younger (or so) but my knees kill the day after 1 game! Not sure how I'd manage running for that long!

Well, last time out in Cascais I only did one day with 6 games and the others were 5,4,3... but I felt awesome and could run all day.

The Barcelona tournament involves less travel between venues as it is all in one place. It is hotter as it’s July in Barca, and it’s a great first tournament abroad IMHO.

If you (or anyone else here) are thinking about applying (and there are places left for various Referee Abroad tournaments AFAIK) as Brian said, please ask anything.

I had such a great time at both events I attended, I am genuinely excited at the prospect of others enjoying the same!

The various Facebook groups are also worth joining.

Before I went the first time I was able to speak to half a dozen refs I work with who had attended previous RA tournaments. There’s no doubt the events have got better and better over the years.

As you can tell, I am up for it! Sadly I probably only have a few outdoor games before Cascais (it’s off season now) but I will flag U17 elite today in big empty stadium in minus 2! Ha!
 
Well, I will be leaving Ms Sangria and two little ones at home for the third time. Ms Sangria has been very supportive. I am over 40 so there are only so many more years I can do this - which maybe helps.

Cascais is good quality and intense so it’s not realistic as a participant to turn it into a holiday.

I explain away my guilt a bit like an extreme sports holiday. You can go mountain biking in Slovenia, road racing in Spain, ultramarathon this, kite surfing the other... or ref for 6 hours a day for a week.

And @Brian Hamilton I really look forward to meeting you and fingers crossed for some brutal assessments!
I look forward to meeting you too. I don't do brutal assessments, I just do brutal honesty. I want referees to be as good as they can be every time they walk out on the field and in every situation they encounter. Rarely do I give developmental feedback to a referee after a game where they don't say, "Yes I know... but..." The vast majority of referees know exactly what it is they wanted to do or should have done but it didn't happen. I give them encouragement to be better next time.

The next 4 months will fly by :)
 
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