Way to go: Matthew Schwartz, Westbury

For Matthew Schwartz, the most important part of being a soccer referee is earning players' respect.

His success on the field has brought him a special honor: Schwartz, 17, a junior at W. Tresper Clarke High School in Westbury, was named 2011 Young Referee of the Year last month by the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association and Eastern New York Senior Soccer Association.

"Matthew has shown character beyond his years, with enthusiasm for advancing through the ranks," state youth referee administrator Ray Wolfe said.

Schwartz said when he began acting as a referee, it was "more of a challenge to gain confidence."

"But if you know what to do and do it right, players respect you," he said, "The best feeling is when they come up to you after a game to shake your hand."

Schwartz typically refs two games on weekends for the Long Island Junior Soccer League. He said he started refereeing games at the age of 13 for players under the age of 9, and today refs for players who are up to 18.

Schwartz also belongs to the Long Island Soccer Referees Association. He is a member of the National Honor Society his school's robotics team, and math, science and English honor societies.