photo by Tony Biscaia, RevsNet.com

On August 28, 2002, at the new Gillette Stadium, Matt Ames was honored as Massachusetts Young Referee of the Year at a halftime ceremony during the MLS match between the New England Revolution and The Colorado Rapids. Shown left to right are: Dennis LaVersa, MYSA Representative; Matt Ames; and Andy Weiss, MSRC..

Matthew Ames named Young Referee of the Year

(April 1, 2002) The Massachusetts State Referee Committee announces that Matthew Ames, of Sharon, is Massachusetts' 2002 Young Referee of the Year, and the male nominee, representing the Commonwealth, for the US Youth Soccer 2002 Region 1 Award. For 2002, there was no female nominee.

At 19, Matt Ames has been officiating soccer matches for more than seven years. Starting at the age of 12, Matt began as an unofficial linesman for his older brother. By the time Ames was 14 he had completed his entry level training as a USSF grade 8 referee, and began working matches in the Sharon town youth program as well as the South Shore Soccer League.

By the following year, Matt added higher level matches for the Massachusetts Premier League (MAPLE) to his resume, and soon began working area tournaments. Ames received recognition for outstanding achievement for his work at the 1999 Massachusetts Tournament of Champions (MTOC), and, by the following year, was representing Massachusetts Youth Soccer and the 2000 Region 1 Olympic Development Program (ODP) Championships. In 2001, Ames was again selected as a member of the Massachusetts referee delegation for the Snickers Region 1 Championships.

A good student, Matthew Ames combines soccer officiating with a broad range of cultural, community and career interests and activities. An accomplished musician with an interests in both classical and jazz, Matt plays piano as well as percussion with two bands. Through his church and B'nai B'rith, Matt supports youth activities, is gaining experience as a journalist, has attended international conferences, and chairs one international committee. In addition to working as a professional referee, Ames works as an assistant manager at Blockbuster Video, and as a teller at Citizens Bank in Sharon.

For more information contact:
Sherman Whipple
MSRC Public Relations