Laxa 1st CNMI referee in AFC Referee Academy Program

Davy Laxa is the first soccer referee from the CNMI to be nominated into the AFC Referee Academy Program.

It is a three-year program that enhances the knowledge and skills of football referees and provides them with tools, resources, and experiences to improve.

The 23-year-old assistant coach for the CNMI Men’s National Soccer Team and member of the Referee Committee is going through the first module, which is a weekly virtual class that started last August and will end in December.

Laxa recently returned from an on-site training in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that was held from Sept. 25 to 29.

There, Laxa said the experience he received from that was great. “It was more than I expected. We were lucky enough that we were given top instructors that will guide us throughout the three-year course.”

Laxa’s main takeaway from the onsite training was a statement by Anthony Taylor, a professional referee in the Premier League, who said, “It takes resilience to be a top referee” and “Process is my foundation.”

As for how he felt being chosen as the first referee in the CNMI for the program, Laxa said “it’s an honor.”

“The referee pool in the CNMI is very limited because the majority of the football players here focus only on becoming a football player or a football coach. So, it’s truly a privilege for me to be selected from that limited pool to participate in this opportunity. This is surely a huge step for the development of referees in the CNMI and another pathway for our future generation of aspiring referees.”

Asked how it is as a referee, he said “Being a referee isn’t easy. We have a crucial role in football games because we need to ensure that the rules are being enforced and implemented correctly. So, I will be taking advantage of this opportunity and approach it with an open mind and willingness to learn. Throughout this program, I expect to learn how to manage football games better, make quicker decisions during a game, verbal communication, and many more.”

Laxa has been a soccer coach for about two years and a referee for six years. He started as an assistant referee for about four years then moved up to center referee.

On why he became a referee, Laxa said, “At first, I just wanted the money. I started probably 16-17 years old and I didn’t have a job and I wanted money. Then as I started to commit more, I started enjoying it, it was far more different than playing the game. It was thanks to the head of the Referee Committee Ruselle Zapanta, who took interest and found potential in me, that I kept pursuing this pathway.”

Besides soccer, Laxa is also a bodybuilder and is set to represent CNMI in the 2023 Pacific Games this November.