The first Referee in the Spotlight is Dasa Griffin, please see below for an insight into Dasa's involvement in the game. 

Name: Dasa Griffin

When did you qualify as a referee?
I qualified as soon as I could after I turned 14, at the beginning of 2017

What are your early refereeing memories?
The most prominent memory I have from my early refereeing journey is from my first game. I remember I gave 3 penalties and disallowed 1. After the game, I felt really accomplished and proud of my performance. I also had my first coach there to give me the thumbs up!

Have you faced any challenges and how have you overcome them?
The first couple seasons as a new, young referee can be very challenging. Having everybody look to you as a young 14-year-old, who has to make all the decisions was daunting at first, but I soon learned to love it! It helped me in many aspects of my life and made me so much more confident.

Something that helped me was constantly brushing up on the laws of the game. I started to feel more comfortable when making decisions as didn’t have to second guess myself!

Do you have any career highlights to date?
A couple of times spring to mind when asked this question…
 
My first highlight has to be when I was selected to be part of the 2WAR group. Being a 2WAR means I am an assistant referee and 4th official on the Woman’s Championship. It’s great to be able to work with these athletes week in and week out. 

Another Highlight is refereeing one of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup Third Round games, Lewes FC Women vs London Bees WFC. It was an amazing day out and I enjoyed every moment of it! 

I’ve also just been given one of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup Fourth Round games, AFC Wimbledon Women vs Charlton Athletic Women this coming Sunday. I’m extremely pleased to be given the opportunity to referee these amazing fixtures.

What skills have you learned through refereeing?
Refereeing has taught me many skills from focus and self-control to critical thinking. A massive thing I’ve picked up from refereeing is communication, whether that’s verbal or non-verbal. How you are perceived as a match official is so important not just to the clubs but to the fans as well. I find this has helped me so much in my work environment, especially when talking to clients.

Why did you take up refereeing?
I took up officiating because of my love for the game. I am an avid football fan, I just love the game! I have been involved with football my whole life, I first started playing when I was 3 years old. I started to get into coaching at around 13/14 and the only thing left to do was become a referee! I thought it would help me in my playing career to be a referee, but little did I know this was the path I was going to choose!

Who is the biggest influence on your refereeing career?
There are many people I look up to in the refereeing world but my first has to be the one and only Dean Carney… I don’t think I need to elaborate too much because everyone knows where I’m going with this. Dean’s passion and enthusiasm for the game is second to none. He is also there for everyone 24/7 and without him, I wouldn’t have even got this far! 

Stéphanie Frappart took charge of the champions league match Barcelona vs Juventus when Ronaldo and Messi were both there, and that was the moment I thought, ‘wow it’s really possible’

The Bedfordshire FA will celebrate the hard work behind the scenes from individuals and clubs through the Spotlight feature giving you the insight into Council Members, Referees and Clubs.