AskTheRef^TM (ATR) was founded by four soccer fanatics for the purpose of expanding the understanding of the game of soccer and allowing people to have fun while learning. The idea emerged for ATR as we created the concept for RockFamilySports™, a community of content-driven sports sites serving players, coaches, referees, and their families. RockFamilySports™ is designed to provide continuously updated information about the sport of soccer to the coaching community, the officiating community, the players (at a local level) and the player’s parents and fans. The foundation for these online communities is a panel of recognized experts drawn from these communities. They provide expert advice and content to our targeted user base.

ATR is the first of these sites to be launched. It was launched in October of 1999 and has grown rapidly in popularity because it is community oriented -- the members of the soccer community drive the content. As the site grows, additional content will be added that will enhance its utility. Some of this will be in the form of e-commerce -- the ability to easily and quickly order referee related clothing and equipment. Additional content will also include tips and articles about refereeing, and a forum for sharing experiences, i.e., fun games, difficult games, unusual experiences, etc.

AsktheSoccerCoach^TM is the next site that will be launched. A panel of professional, college, high school, and youth soccer coaches and players is being assembled to provide insights into playing the game of soccer, covering everything from strategy to substitutions to how to play a position to drills to how to deal with difficult players. The format will be similar to ATR but with more articles and tips to supplement the questions. We hope to launch ATSC by the Spring of 2000.

The next two sites that will be launched deal with Soccer Moms and the players themselves. Details on these sites will follow soon.

These sites are being developed by InterWeave e-com, LLC, of Sacramento, California. By building partnerships, alliances, and affiliations within the community, the four principals at IWEC intend that these sites will be content-rich and will be driven by the soccer community itself. These sites will eventually offer resources such as referee uniforms, coaching equipment, books, and other e-commerce items. Our intent is to make these sites a resource to the community, and that any e-commerce or advertising added to the site will only serve to supplement the utility of these sites and not degrade the content, with the goal of improving the game remaining the primary objective.