Editors Note: This column was written by Alex Oliver, a USSF level 7 referee from USA

I barely made it a referee. At age 13, I squeaked by my entry-level class with a passing grade of 75 and fro the next three years, I would do games not exceeding U-16s. I became frustrated and I started feeling a gridlock in my career. I wanted to venture into more competitive soccer games, but my ability to get games was limited.

Then my luck changes, thanks to the power of mentoring. One of Georgia’s top referees, Joe Ellis, approached me and offered to take me under his wing as a subject in his personal mentoring program. I started down the road to success, but it was not an easy journey.

I had a poor attitude and lacked people skills, which Ellis quickly identifies, and for months I battled those issues. He and I would meet often, studying the Laws of the Game and how to apply them. When he felt I was ready, he introduced me to Brian D’Amato, a National Referee. With their help, I began to notice an immediate improvement in my refereeing abilities.

I was invited to 2002 US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championship. I had never refereed an amateur centre, and my first amateur middle was my upgrade to grade 7 assessment.

Gibbs often told me, "Keep the games simple." That is what I did. For 90 minutes I refereed by simply focusing on the most fundamental aspect of the game: keeping the players safe. I continued that approach at regionals in Little Rock, Ark. That kept me from getting nervous and frustrated; it also allowed me to officiate to the best of my abilities while enjoying my games.