Roger Morton
Is one of the giants of soccer officiating in North Carolina.
Roger Morton is one of the giants of soccer officiating in North Carolina. He has been a tremendously successful soccer referee, assessor, and referee instructor. Growing up in Rocky Mount, NC, he recalls officiating youth basketball at the local YMCA on Fridays and Saturdays followed by watching ACC basketball in the evening. At a young age he knew he wanted to be a referee, and during his senior year of high school, the sports director of the YMCA recommended he learn soccer as it was the “hottest new sport and they are going to need officials.” Thus, he has spent the last 45 years as a sports official, including time at the NCAA and NAIA levels in soccer. Under the tutelage of William Utter (NCSHOF, 1997) his journey began following a high potential beginning in the sport of basketball - he was the youngest NCAA Division I basketball official, at 19 years of age when he worked for the MEAC conference. He has been an avid supporter of North Carolina youth and adult soccer and North Carolina Soccer Referees. Since 1983, when he first joined as a referee, he has assisted in the recruitment of officials to expand the organization to meet the ever-growing need of qualified soccer referees. In his position as president of Triangle NC for 20 plus years he has been instrumental in doubling the size of the chapter to over 200+ members becoming the largest single chapter of NISOA. Roger is a firm believer in referee education and continues to provide incredible education and training to NC Soccer Referees. Through this training and support, many NC Soccer Referees continue to move to higher levels of officiating within national and professional ranks. No one has a deeper passion and respect for the game, players, and coaches. He continues to serve the game as referee, administrator, and referee assignor. Here are some of his many accomplishments:
U. S. Soccer
Former US Soccer and North Carolina State Grade 5 Referee
US Soccer PRO Local Area Referee Coordinator – North Carolina; formerly
US Youth Soccer National Championships Official
US Youth Soccer South Region Referee Administrator – Current
NCSRA Referee Coach and Referee mentor/advisor
US Youth Soccer South Region-Bob Wertz award
Collegiate Soccer
National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association Hall of Fame Inductee - 2019
President Triangle NC Intercollegiate Soccer Referee Association (TISOA) 2001 - Present (plus stint in the 1990s)
NISOA – Former National Referee
Refereed Five Final Fours – Division I & II (Men & Women)
Refereed 18 consecutive years in NCAA post season tournament.
1995 NAIA Men’s National Championship Official
1994 NJCAA Women’s National Championship Official
NCAA Region II: South Atlantic Referee Regional Advisor
NCAA National Coordinator for Soccer in Region III
High School
North Carolina High School Athletic Association Board of Directors-Ex Officio
Past president of the Triad Basketball Officials Association
Received Dick Knox Distinguished Service Award by the NCHSAA
North Carolina High School Athletic Association Golden Whistle Merit Award for lifetime achievement-2016
North Carolina High School Athletic Association Region 5-Special Person Award-2016
Supervisor of Officials – Piedmont Soccer Officials
Refereed Three NCHSAA State Soccer Championships
Refereed Four NCISAA State Soccer Championships
North Carolina High School Athletic Association Regional Supervisor – Current
NC East-West Soccer All-Star game referee
North Carolina Athletic Director Association Supervisor of Excellence Award
Education
Graduate of Rocky Mount Senior High School, Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Graduate of North Carolina A&T University, Greensboro, North Carolina
In his position as President of TISOA, he works closely with the commissioners, athletic directors and coaches of multiple conferences including the ACC, Big South, Conference Carolinas, Southern, South Atlantic, USA South and others to ensure that the best trained and experienced officials are provided to work their soccer games. He continually recruits year-round at various youth local, state, regional, and national tournaments seeking out the very best up and coming referees to groom for the collegiate level and beyond. He is very passionate about the game of soccer, and he seeks to instill this passion in others that he mentors.