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Refereeing any sport takes integrity, the courage to stand up and give a call, even if it brings disfavor from certain people, and a great deal of nerve. Through his many accomplishments in refereeing, Potter’s School student Arthur Kerle has embodied these qualities well and continues to set a superb example to everyone in sports, especially in his own field of expertise: soccer refereeing.

 

Arthur resides in the town of Grayling, Michigan, where, in addition to taking General Science with Mr. Rosenoff, a class that he thoroughly enjoys, he takes a debate class and participates in an underwater robotics team through a local homeschooling group. He began his soccer career at the age of seven, playing on local teams in Grayling. At the age of ten, he joined a travel team, with which he has been playing ever since. For the past two years, Arthur has been invited to play in a tournament with a Petoskey travel team 90 miles away.

 

From the age of twelve, Arthur has refereed for his local soccer program. He received his level eight certification last year through a grueling process, involving a twelve-hour class and a 100-question test. Since then, he has refereed in a tournament in a neighboring town, and intends to referee in two communities this summer and for several tournaments nearby.

 

When asked to describe one of his most memorable moments, Arthur responded, “My most memorable moment in my refereeing experience was when I had to red card a player. The coach and the player were not happy at me and the coach tried to talk me out of it, but I knew I was doing the right thing and didn't back down.” Through this experience, Arthur showed his devotion to standing for what is right, even when it makes other people upset or even angry.

 

Arthur says that one of his favorite quotes is by Don Shula: “Success is not forever, and failure isn't fatal.”  He says that he particularly likes this quote because “it reminds [him] that it's okay to make mistakes and that whether we're winning or losing, it's important to keep working hard.”

 

In addition to refereeing and playing soccer, Arthur holds an assistant coaching position on an eighth-grade football team in his community. He says that he is interested in the leadership aspect of sports, although he also likes to play. When he grows up, he aspires to be a head football coach. Two of his role models in sports are Fielding H. Yost, who was a football coach for Michigan before and after 1900, and Bill Belichick, the head coach for the New England Patriots. He admires these two men for their determination and skills in coaching. Additionally, Arthur has written to and heard back from Lloyd Carr, of the University of Michigan, and the legendary John Madden. Arthur also has other coaches that he plans to write to seek advice.

 

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