(KJCCC) August 22, 2022 -- Soccer in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) is a fast-paced and exciting sport, and the conference gained a new Supervisor of Soccer Officials who recognizes this. Tyler Sueper, Wichita, takes over this season in that role, and has a solid understanding of the responsibilities that come with the role.

"I feel that my leadership capabilities will serve the conference well in growing our referee pool and capabilities," said Sueper. "The role I served this past season at Stryker Soccer Complex as Director of Officials has really opened my eyes to the capabilities of young officials working competitive soccer matches."

Sueper is a graduate of Maize South High School and Wichita State University. Former Wichita Wings star and current Pratt Community College men's coach Kevin Kewley coached Sueper in past club seasons. Sueper also currently serves as the Director of Officials for the Wichita Regional Soccer Association. He has officiated in both men's and women's NJCAA national tournaments. Sueper has been a United States Soccer Federation official for ten years.

Sueper has honed his supervisor style by serving and officiating with past KJCCC Supervisor Bryan Auten. He learned the value of his position.

"Being able to trust the person that assigns the games was crucial in my development as a referee," said Sueper. "Sometimes there aren't concrete answers for the desired outcome of situations, so being able to have an open discussion with a trustworthy assignor about how to come to a decision is incredibly valuable."

"Soccer in our conference is very athletic and fast-paced, so our officials will need to be ready and well-trained," said Carl Heinrich, KJCCC commissioner. "We are fortunate Tyler has taken this supervisory position with the KJCCC."

Sueper sees his role with the conference booth as a former official, and as a current supervisor and assignor. Training and retaining new officials will be a focus, according to Sueper.

"Officiating soccer is a daunting task for anyone that wants to get involved in soccer beyond playing and coaching, but creating a positive community of officials that support one another is a big step in keeping officials around the game," said Sueper. "In terms of addressing it from my perspective, there's no way to glamorize officiating to someone that doesn't want to accept that dealing with abuse, working long days, and staying healthy both physically and mentally are all core parts of officiating. The best we can do is create a positive environment for officials to learn and develop, so that they'll feel confident in pushing themselves to get to the next level and stick with the game."

"Tyler has a solid officiating resume, as well as an on-going connection with young up-and-coming soccer officials," said Heinrich.

Super looks to past soccer seasons to help him look at the future of the sport in Kansas.

"Over the past couple of seasons, we've been fortunate enough in Wichita to host multiple NJCCA National Tournament events with multiple Kansas teams participating and performing well. We've also been fortunate enough to have schools enter the top 10 national rankings on both the men and women's side, so I think that speaks to the quality of soccer we get to see here in Kansas," said Sueper. "Schools across the state have taken notice of the competition that many programs bring each season, so recruitment and development of these players has increased in my experience as an official."