IA Soccer Referees

06/04/2026

⚽️ 2026 Pat Smith Award Winner - Hidajet Tica

Hidajet Tica is a remarkable leader whose lifelong commitment to soccer make him a highly deserving recipient of the Pat Smith Award for 2026.

After playing semi-professionally in Bosnia, Hido came to the United States during the war there and built an extraordinary career as a referee, coach, assignor, and administrator. His officiating achievements include USSF National and Professional Referee receiving MLS and International assignments, National Assessor, and his current role as a National Referee Coach. He has also served Iowa soccer through high school coaching, collegiate and state tournament assigning, and his leadership as Referee and Sportsmanship Director for the Iowa Soccer Association. While at Iowa Soccer, he has helped establish the statewide Referee Development Program (RDP) and “Respect 4 All” initiative to recruit, train, retain, and support officials and improve the game environment.

Beyond his accomplishments, Hidajet’s humility, character, and devotion to family have been an inspiration to the entire soccer community.

05/26/2026

⚽️ Iowa Referee Assignment

05/04/2026

⚽️ A big shout-out to our youth referees for the outstanding job they did this weekend at the .

👉 They showed up prepared, worked hard, supported each other, and handled a busy tournament environment with confidence and professionalism. Refereeing is not easy, especially when you are still learning, and these young officials stepped onto the field, made decisions, communicated with players and coaches, and kept the games moving.

💯 We are proud of their effort, growth, and commitment to the game. Every match they work makes them better, and every positive example they set helps strengthen our soccer community.

👍 Thank you to the coaches, players, parents, mentors, and tournament staff who supported our youth referees. Encouragement matters. A simple “good job, ref” can go a long way.

👏 Well done referees! Keep learning, keep improving, and keep blowing the whistle with pride.

Remember:

These days, we often focus on fixing every detail and spend so much energy on the small percentage of things that go wrong; it’s incredibly refreshing to pause and appreciate the moments that go right. This simple message from a parent about our event this past weekend is exactly that kind of reminder. It highlights the positive impact we’re making and the experience we’re creating for players and families. Messages like these mean a lot, and I truly cherish them—they remind us why we do what we do, and I’m genuinely grateful that we received it.

"I just wanted to take a moment and write that my daughter’s team had some amazing refs at our tournament in Altoona 5/2-5/3. We played u12 girls on field 9b at 10:30 and 3:30 on Saturday and the middle ref, a young woman with long dark hair, did a very nice job. Then the next day we had a young man, and he was exceptional. He called a fair game and kept the players safe, he explained his calls to the players which I felt they learned from. He took the time to really do an amazing job! He was heckled by a parent on the side line and he handled it VERY well. Appreciate refs like these, and it goes a long way to making the game awesome to participate in and watch! Make a flyer about this positive story from LAF, Iowa Soccer tournament based on this input."

04/24/2026

Let's gooooooooo RDP, and Cedar Valley Soccer Club.