09/21/2026
Every youth game has a referee, but few people know what it takes to earn the whistle. Gene sits down with two veteran officials from the Grand Strand: Jack Schultz, a referee since 1989 and State Referee since 2005 who has worked up to the USL Championship level, and John Santos, Area Referee Administrator for Myrtle Beach and Florence, who advanced to Regional Referee in 2024 and currently officiates UPSL and USL League Two.
They discuss the three relationships that shape every match: referee and coach, referee and parent, and referee and player. They also explain how games get assigned and how local officials move up the pipeline. If you’re a player, coach, or parent, you’ll come away with a better view of the game from the center of the field, and you may want to try it yourself.