The Connecticut Junior Soccer Association (CJSA) announced a partnership today with Officially Human, which has a mission to restore respect to game officials and recognize them as authorities on the fields and courts.
“Over the past several years, along with most youth sports organizations, we have experienced a growing issue with the treatment and retention of officials at all levels of our game,” said Josh Krusewski, CJSA Executive Director. “When we learned of Officially Human and their mission, and after speaking with Brenda and her team, we knew our aligned ideals, goals and strategies were a winning combination. We look forward to working with Officially Human and further strengthening our already strong culture as well as improving the experience at the games we love to watch, and ensuring all interested athletes have a place to play.”
Brenda Hilton, the Founder & CEO of Officially Human, currently works for a Division I collegiate athletic conference. She also spent 11 years with the Summit League (formerly the Mid-Continent Conference) and more than 22 years overall working in major collegiate officiating.
“I’m excited to partner with the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association and look forward to achieving our common goals,” said Hilton. “Soccer is an exciting and wildly popular sport that is integral to positive youth development. Officially Human is the right organization to help preserve the positive game experiences enjoyed by so many and build stronger relationships with our sports officials, and help grow the recruitment of these brave individuals.”
With this partnership, all CJSA clubs and members have access to Officially Human’s ELEVATE RESPECT® Online Course. CJSA will also use this course as an educational tool when handling instances of referee mistreatment and abuse during sanctioned games.
To contact the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association, please call (860) 676-1161 or email [email protected]. Also make sure to follow us on social media!
ABOUT OFFICIALLY HUMAN
Based in Lombard, IL, Officially Human was founded to restore respect to, and positive treatment of, sport officials through increased education and communication to all stakeholders (administrators, coaches, athletes, and fans.) Founded in 2019, Officially Human is the leader in addressing the growing crisis in officiating that touches every sport, official, and level of competition. Officially Human offers tailored solutions to athletic host organizations of all sizes that improve the stakeholder experience at each of their sporting competitions. The comprehensive solutions package includes digital education, awareness building, event host communication strategies, and organizational support in addressing poor fan behavior. To learn more about Officially Human, visit officiallyhuman.com.