Why upgrade?

[socrref]

At my advanced age , should I even bother with it?
My take on this question is that every Referee should advance as far as they are capable. If you're going to do this sport for any length of time, then challenging oneself to advance is something that I think should come naturally. Doing the younger teams is fun, but to me it's alot more fun to be challenged in a match - whether it's fitness because they can all run faster than me, whether it's awareness and anticipation of pay - because they all run faster than me, Mana managment - how I deal with the whiners, troublemakers, those just trying to get an advantage in the game.
In order to deal with the above, I've had to get training, other referees observations, get in better shape - because they all run faster than me, and develop a better understanding of the game. All of this makes the games more fun and enables me to deal with a challenging match or a U-8 game.
So the point is - if I want to do this and have fun - it just makes sense to me to challenge myself to be a better referee than I was before. One of the ways to do this is to work on my upgrade & go to the next level.
Thoughts?

[mjteague]

First the disclaimer. I haven't reffed much soccer. I mostly do football. That is American football

Right now I can't see myself upgrading. The biggest issue is time. I just to have the time it would take to get better. Sure I believe I should continue to learn the game and mechanics of officiating it but I don't want to put in the study and practice it would take. Does this make me a bad referee? I don't think I will ever progress beyond doing rec games. I don't have a desire to try to keep up with some U19 boys club team. I will enjoy the level I'm at. I have fun doing it. Upgrading looks too much like work for me.

[KPKLR]

There's a lot to be said for being happy where one is. A genuine happiness at doing rec games well is good for the game. We need good refs at any level. I find that to maintain any kind of diet and exercise regimen, I have to put a carrot in front of me. I was content as an 8 but wanted to find out if I had the discipline and stamina to pursue a 7 (at age 47). I enjoy the games I'm doing now, but that voice in the back of the head is asking whether I can take it up a notch. It's one of those things that I'll never know until I try, and if I don't try I'll forever be disappointed.

[iufaninark]

I was recently at a couple of tournaments where the referees actually had to be a certain grade to be assigned as a referee.   The GIT in Memphis, during the U15-U19 Boys weekend you needed to be a Grade 6 or higher to get a center referee assignment.  The following weekend at the U15-U19 Girls GIT you had to be a Grade 7 or higher to get a center referee assignment.   The same was true for travel allowances, the amount depended on your referee grade.