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VIDEO PREVIEW: ASHSAA FOOTBALL SEASON 1ST KICK OFF – SEPT 11, 2015

The American Samoa High School Athletic Association (ASHSAA) is scheduled to open this year’s football season on Friday, September 11, 2015 with one of the most exciting matches to kick off the season – the reigning Champion Fagaitua Vikings, who will face the Tafuna Warriors in both JV and Varsity.

 

Leading the DOE ASHSAA Department is Director Tumua Matu'u, who told Samoa News that ASHSAA has been working hard to prepare their officials and referees for the upcoming season. “Football officiating is not a simple nor an easy task. There are a lot of rules, mechanics, etc. that an official needs to know. Hence, officials need to be smart,” she stated.

 

Tumua added, “We hold training at least a month prior to the start of the season every year, and the training is held for several days a week. We send an announcement prior to that, but more than often, the same people come out with a few new recruits who often times bow out when they realize how much time, training, knowledge, and commitment it takes to be a football official”.

 

Matu'u told Samoa News that training officials every year isn't an easy task for ASHSAA.

 

“They not only need to be able to understand the rules but also need to understand nuances and exceptions to the rules, and recognize when to apply these, depending on the situation at hand."

 

She added, “officiating any sport is difficult. Retaining officials to officiate football is even more difficult.”

 

The director of ASHSAA wanted to stress the fact that everyone who is involved with football – especially the fans and spectators, need to know that their job on the field isn’t easy, “It is important for the public to know how difficult it is to train and retain football officials.”

 

With ASHSAA Football season right around the corner, Matu'u wanted to encourage the younger generation on island to come and tryout as an official. “We invite young adults to come out, especially college students, to be trained by Mike White", who is the Head Football Official leading up to the season.

 

She siad, “Mike is a veteran official who has been with our program for several years now. I depend on him to train officials to ensure that they understand the rules and know how to apply them and the mechanics of the game during competition.

 

She noted, “I depend on him to respond to inquiries from the ASHSAA Board and to ensure that official's do their job effectively to ensure the safety of athletes and fairness in competition.”

 

Ene Kapisi, who is also one of the leading officials for ASHSAA, has been a key factor for the officiating crew throughout the years, and Matu'u told Samoa News how much she depends on him to ensure the coach trainings are going according to plan.

 

“Ene is also an experienced and very good football official. I need him to oversee the family of football officials and to ensure fair and effective coordination and assigning of officials to games.” 

 

She added, “I prefer not to have him on the field. Only when we are short of officials, then I am okay with him stepping on the field. But as long as officials are readily available, I prefer him to step down to allow other officials the opportunity — which is why you do not see him on the field as often anymore. He is my right hand guy when it comes to the coordination of football officials and he has done a great job in the past years.”