AthLeaders
Earn your volunteer hours. Referee youth soccer.
A referee recruitment initiative helping Santa Barbara high schoolers step onto the field, build leadership skills, and give back to their community — one game at a time.
Serving AYSO Region 122 — Santa Barbara, Goleta & Montecito
Get StartedRefereeing Counts Toward Your Graduation Hours
Most Santa Barbara high schools require students to complete a certain number of community service hours before graduation — and volunteering as an AYSO referee is a great way to knock them out while doing something active and meaningful.
Hours required: 60 hours at Santa Barbara High & San Marcos High, or 45 hours at Dos Pueblos. researched estimate — confirm with your school
Always double-check with your school's counselor or service-hour coordinator to make sure AYSO volunteer hours qualify for your specific requirement.
Why It Matters
Every whistle you blow keeps the league running. Here's the ripple effect referees have on the Santa Barbara youth soccer community:
Younger kids only get to play organized soccer because referees show up. Without you, games get cancelled, seasons get disrupted, and the whole league feels it. Stepping up as a ref means younger players get their season, and you get real leadership and mentorship experience you can't get from a textbook.
Why Referee?
Here's what's actually in it for you.
Flexible Schedule
Games are mostly on weekends, so it's easy to work around school, homework, and everything else on your plate.
Get Outside
Trade screen time for field time. It's a solid excuse to be active and outdoors on a Saturday morning.
Stand Out on College Apps
Refereeing shows real leadership, responsibility, and conflict-resolution skills — the kind colleges actually want to hear about.
Free Training
You don't need any experience. AYSO provides all the training and certification courses at no cost to you.
Ref Younger Divisions
Youth referees ages 10–17 can officiate divisions at least two years younger than they are — so there's a spot for you as soon as you're certified.
How to Sign Up
The real Region 122 process, broken into checkable steps. Tap a box as you finish each one — your progress is saved right in this browser.
🎉 All 7 steps complete — you're ready to ref your first game!
Region 122 Key Dates
Fall 2026 season dates for aspiring refs, straight from Region 122's own calendar. Referee training fills up — don't wait until the last session.
Register as a Region 122 volunteer
Registration has been open since April 17. Final team placement (and your deadline to lock in a spot) is August 1, 2026.
In-person referee companion courses
Six sessions to choose from — Aug 24, Aug 26, Sept 1, Sept 3, Sept 8 & Sept 10 — all at Dos Pueblos High School, Room S-10, mostly 6:00–8:30 pm. Complete the online Regional Referee course first.
Practices begin
The first day teams are permitted to start practicing for the season.
Last day for a refund
If your plans change, this is the final date for a partial refund (minus a $75 admin fee).
First games of the season
Games kick off for 6U through 14U — this is when referee assignments really start rolling in.
Dates shown are for the Fall 2026 season, sourced directly from Region 122's calendar — they shift every season, so always confirm on the official calendar before making plans.
Resources & Links
Everything you need to get registered, trained, and on the field.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! AYSO trains you from scratch. All you need is a willingness to learn and show up — the courses cover everything else.
It depends on how many games you take on each season. Training time and game time can both typically count toward your total — keep track of your hours as you go so you have an accurate record.
Most schools accept AYSO volunteer hours, but confirm with your school's service-hour coordinator before you get started so you know exactly what documentation they need.