PICKERING, ONT. – On Tuesday, January 27th, the Pickering Football Club will host its first Match Official Education session of 2026, bringing together active club officials, members and interested referees for an evening of expert-led insight on the latest trends in match officiating. 

Tuesday’s session will be the first of nine seminars focused on educating match officials, with topics selected by experienced high-level referees and focused on several common components of the role such as communication, challenging and game / conflict management among others. 

PFC first introduced Match Official Education sessions in 2020, hosting virtual webinars before moving to an interactive in-person approach in 2024. Led by PFC’s Head Referee, Michael Heuthe, these annual sessions have become a pillar of the club and reinforce the Pickering Football Club’s position as a catalyst in the development of match officials throughout Ontario.

“We’re the leaders in the district. Nobody else is doing what we do,” said Dave Lord, PFC’s Match Official Assigner. Dave is entering his 14th season as a Match Official Assigner and has played a significant role in elevating the club’s Match Official Program to the industry-leading standard it operates under. 

“We want to move people up. If you want to move up, we're going to do everything we possibly can to help you accomplish your goals,” added Dave. 

PFC’s Mentorship Program, introduced in 2016, has helped dozens of match officials learn the necessary skills needed to ascend to the next level of their officiating journey. Spearheaded by Michael in 2025, the program creates a safe space for experienced mentors to provide advice and help improve the actions of young match officials within PFC’s system. 

“It's about going out, watching the officials and providing guidance and support so that they can achieve whatever goals they want,” commented Michael, who is also one of PFC’s experienced mentors in the program. 

Since its inception, the program has expedited the careers of numerous match officials, including the likes of PFC alumnus Emelia Schaafsma. A product of the club’s Mentorship Program, Emilia has gone on to officiate League One Ontario (L1O), Ontario Summer Games, National College Championships and contests within the province’s university circuit since exiting the program in 2020. 

More recently, the program has provided an accelerated match officiating pathway to Alexandra. C, a current member of the Pickering Football Club’s U18 (2008) Girls IMODEL squad and a driven figure in PFC’s officiating landscape. 

Having joined the Match Officiating Program in 2024 to better understand the decision-making process from a referee’s perspective, Alexandra quickly became committed to improving her craft, attending PFC’s annual Match Official Education sessions and taking on available opportunities at the recreational level.  

“I wanted to have both sides of the story so that I could have the best information possible,” said Alexandra, who will be embarking on her third season as a match official in 2026. 

It was through the mentorship of Michael and her involvement in PFC’s hosting of the first-ever 9v9 OPDL Winter Invitational earlier this month where Alexandra felt at her best, receiving advice on her assistant refereeing assignment that she remains eager to build off. 

“It gave me more encouragement to do more, and it gave me a sense of hope that I'm doing the right thing,” praised Alexandra of PFC’s Mentorship Program. 

“It's all about, putting our younger and newer referees into situations they haven't experienced yet, and providing that support and guidance to them so that they can learn and apply that in future situation,” added Michael of the support PFC provides.

Alexandra’s match officiating journey is also accompanied by athletic accolades touching all realms of sport, including consecutive Female Athlete of the Year awards at her secondary school and a pair of appearances in provincial tournaments for badminton and cross country respectively. 

She is just one of the many talents to benefit both on and off the field from PFC’s Match Official Program, and that number continues to grow every year. 

From being one of the few clubs in the province providing Assistant Referee opportunities at the recreational level to proudly hosting a brand-new series of Ontario Soccer officiating modules in 2026, PFC continues to innovate, adapt and create programs to maintain the club’s position as a driver in the match officiating community. 

Learn what the Pickering Football Club can do for you or your child’s match officiating journey by attending our upcoming Educational Sessions!