Send us a text

The whistle isn’t the hard part. It’s the noise around it—sidelines boiling over, subtle bias that undermines authority, and those early games where one bad interaction can end a career before it starts. We sit down with rising official Mia Clark to talk about staying in the game, building real confidence, and why supporting women on the whistle changes everything.

Mia traces her path from a 14-year-old assistant learning the lines in the rain to assignments in the USLW and high school state playoffs. She shares the moments that almost pushed her out, the mentors who kept her grounded, and a simple, firm script that turns chaos into clarity: address the negative behavior, set boundaries and enforce consequences. 

Along the way, we cover practical tools for young refs—rehearsed language for dissent and when to demand crowd management or terminate a match. Mia’s stories reveal how small choices by assistants, coaches, and athletic directors can empower or erode a center’s authority. 

We also make the case for refereeing as a flexible, high-value job for students that builds decision-making, conflict resolution, and composure under pressure. And we spotlight why seeing women command a match matters for every player, parent, and future official.

If you care about better soccer, safer games, and keeping good people on the field, this conversation is a blueprint. Listen, share with your crew, and help change the culture one match at a time. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what’s your go-to line for handling dissent?

Support the show