THE 2021 AUSTRALIAN SPORTS OFFICIALS CONFERENCE
- Retention of junior officials;
- Recruiting female officials to traditionally male-dominated sports;
- Recruiting officials for remote area sports;
- The importance of pathway development;
- Recruiting volunteer officials;
- Filling an ageing officials' pool/recruiting for sports with dwindling participation;
- Warning signs for when your officiating program may be in danger;
- Elite level recruiting and pathway progression.
PRESENTERS

PROFESSOR LYNN L. RIDINGER
Old Dominion University, Virginia USA
Lynn Ridinger is a Professor of Graduate Program Director of Sport Management. Her research interests focus on psychosocial factors associated with sport involvement, sport consumer behavior, and women's sports. Prior to earning her Ph.D., she was a high school Athletic Director and coach at Norfolk Academy.
Professor Ridinger will be presenting the findings of her Journal of Sport Management research paper "Development of the Referee Retention Scale".
NICK DUNN
Kent Football Association, UK
Nick is a key player in the referee development program for the Kent Football Association in the United Kingdom and was one of the primary architects of the Association's recently redeveloped referee strategy.
Nick will be presenting about the importance of developing and adhering to a sound pathway development program to engage your officiating base and increase the retention rates among officials.

SAM CUNNINGHAM
AFL Northern Territory
Sam is the Umpire Development Coordinator for AFL Northern Territory and has responsibility for recruiting across a catchment area of x square kilometres.
Sam will be presenting the strategies employed by AFL NT to recruit umpires across an area that is not only vast but also exceedingly remote in parts.
PROFESSOR PAMELA WICKER
Bielefeld University, Germany
Professor Wicker is a prolific author in the field of sport organization, with a particular focus on sport in the non-profit environment. Pamela is Associate Editor of European Sport Management Quarterly, Sport Management Review, and the Journal for Study and Teaching in Sport Sciences. She serves on the Editorial Board of another six journals (Journal of Sport Management, Journal of Sports Economics, International Journal of Sport Finance, European Journal for Sport and Society, Managing Sport and Leisure, Journal of Sport & Tourism).
Professor Wicker will be presenting on the factors affecting the recruitment of volunteer officials.


TREVOR HOULE
Referee Magazine
A basketball referee by trade, Trevor has observed the decline in young officials taking up the whistle and has peeled back the layers in trying to determine the underlying factors. In doing so he has identified key differences between current motivators for your officials and traditional drivers of referee satisfaction.
Trevor will be presenting on the topic of intangible motivators that have been found to encourage greater engagement among young officials.
TREVOR HOULE
Referee Magazine
A basketball referee by trade, Trevor has observed the decline in young officials taking up the whistle and has peeled back the layers in trying to determine the underlying factors. In doing so he has identified key differences between current motivators for your officials and traditional drivers of referee satisfaction.
Trevor will be presenting on the topic of intangible motivators that have been found to encourage greater engagement among young officials.
TREVOR HOULE
Referee Magazine
A basketball referee by trade, Trevor has observed the decline in young officials taking up the whistle and has peeled back the layers in trying to determine the underlying factors. In doing so he has identified key differences between current motivators for your officials and traditional drivers of referee satisfaction.
Trevor will be presenting on the topic of intangible motivators that have been found to encourage greater engagement among young officials.