Referee Talent Watch with Stephen Lucas

22-year-old Stephen began refereeing at the young age of 14 with the Ku-ring-gai district branch; two years ago he joined the now known semi professional referee State Branch NSWSLFR INC.
Whilst doing my weekend rounds of the grounds I spotted Stephen as he was about to take the field at the Sydney United Sports Centre.
On this particular late afternoon I was able to view the entire match and his performance at the conclusion of the match can only be described as impressive.
The game at hand was a Premier League match between Sydney United Vs Penrith Nepean U/20. Stephen demonstrated many refereeing attributes that at the end allowed him to control the match with ease, he showed speed and stamina, good communication skills with the players, showed he was firm when needed and above all he looked very confident. 
Off the field Stephen is a well spoken gentleman, polite, courteous and appears to be a very good listener and takes advice from his peers, adding these traits to his refereeing ability can only ensure that his future looks promising, as an athlete needs to be just as good off the park as on it.
Due to time constraints on the day I caught up with Stephen at a later date to interview him and to inform him he was the Talent watch referee of the month. He was delighted to hear the news and was happy to discuss and answer some questions;
Q. Why did you choose to take up refereeing?
A. For the challenge and because I believe that it’s a vehicle that allows you to grow as a person
Q. Have you played the game?
A. Yes, I played at school level for about ten years 
Q. Apart from football what sport do you like to watch or participate in?
A. I like playing cricket and like to watch Rugby League 
Q. Is there a sporting idol in Stephen’s life?
A. Yes, Mark Waugh
Q. When not refereeing what do you like to do?
A. Spending time with the boys in the city, pubs etc..
Q. And finally, in refereeing sense, where would you like to see yourself in five years time?
A. Definitely in the Hyundai A League and hoping that before that I play a part of the National Youth Competition
Promising Stephen Lucas is a definite contender to progress, Football NSW competitions and Clubs will no doubt benefit from having him controlling games on the weekend.
We all wish Stephen good luck in his future. 
Written by Sandro Perticarini   
http://www.asrfnsw.com.au