It has been a lifelong dream for 19 year-old Harrison Shield to become a professional football referee, with his recent achievement proving hard work and perseverance pays off.
Shield’s life changing moment came in early August this year when he received the news that he had been selected to referee in the up coming season of the National Youth League (Y-League).
Harrison received an E-mail from the FFA (Football Federation Australia) and follow up phone calls from Capital Football representatives, stating that he was among one of the finest young talents in the country and rewarding him with the opportunity to referee in a professional competition.
Shield was nominated for this position by Capital Football as a referee with lots of potential, but wasn’t daunted by the prospect that he was being secretly accessed by talent scouts prior to his selection.
The Y-League, a national competition specifically designed to accommodate Australia’s best players under the age of 22, is just one rung below Australia’s premier and most elite football competition, the A-League.
Shield hopes that with consistent and reliable refereeing performances in this seasons Y-League competition, commencing in summer, he can continue to explore higher pathways in the football landscape and further his career opportunities into the A-League and beyond.
His refereeing selection in the Y-League gives Harrison the opportunity to work with top officials from all over the country and referee some of the best young male players in Australia.
“I look forward to officiating in the Youth League, it’s a completely different style of football and environment to what I’m used to,” he said.
While Shield is currently extremely driven with his refereeing obsession and striving to achieve even more, he admits there were times where he thought about giving up, due to outside time constraints including university studies, his job at a hotel and social life commitments.
He is required to train with the ACT referee academy at the AIS at least two nights a week, while officiating National Premier League (NPL) and club football matches on the weekends.
Harrison attributes his love of football from an early age, playing for the Brindabella Blues Football Club in Tuggeranong, as well as his dad’s guidance as a key factor to his passion and success in the sport.
Listen to more about Harrison’s achievements and journey in the interview podcast below.
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