Norval A. Young is a professional, internationally accredited basketball Referee whose main income generating source is through his profession as a local Surveyor here in the Virgin Islands (VI). In the very near future he is likely to become an internationally accredited football referee. Photo: VINO

In the fields executing his work as a surveyor. Photo: Provided

Norval A. Young (left) is an internationally accredited basketball referee. This has seen him refereeing games in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Bolivia among other countries. Photo: Provided

Mr Norval A. Young is the current president of the Valley Sounds Lion’s Club on the Island of his birth and upbringing- Virgin Gorda. This is his third year as the club’s president and prides his invested time in its back-to-school programme. Photo: Provided

Our Young Profesional Norval A. Young is also a proud father of two. Photo: Provided

Our youthful and energetic personality is a professional internationally accredited basketball referee whose main income generating source is through his profession as a local Surveyor here in the Virgin Islands (VI). In the very near future he is likely to become an internationally accredited football referee. 

One can say without fear or favour that this 36-year-old father of two, free, single and dis-engaged man, is very ambitious and possesses every quality to become one of the leading men in the Virgin Islands. Sitting and chatting with Mr Norval Young gives one the feeling that indeed the VI has a cadre of youths who are being groomed to take on the responsibility of leadership.

He may not have said this in plain words but its hidden in his passion to constantly advance academically "I don't want to do no further studies that tells me about things that I already know, or do thing that I have already done but something new, something improved, something that would help me to stay abreast with the advancing times." Young insisted.

Norval is a surveyor by profession and has been effectively holding the position as Cadastral Information Manager in the Survey Department of the VI Government with a staff of approximately five in his fold since 2006. His journey to the position was one of constant academic pursuits during his early years which were attained internationally.

From 1991-1998 he studied in Jamaica where he got his first diploma in Land Surveying.  From 1999 – 2001 at the University of East London, he got his bachelors’ of science in the area of Geographic and Land Information Management. He later went to Holland where he read for his Master’s in Science and Earth Observation in the area of Land Administration. “My next move now is to go after my Phd but I am still to identify exactly which area to choose because I would like to do that is unfamiliar and would create windows of new and improved development for the VI.”

He said his passion for education sometimes seems strange to his friends and persons around him. “Sometimes they would say what you going and study for now and I am a firm believer of the phase ‘make hay while the sun shines and the sky is the limit.” Young added that too often persons fail to take advantage of opportunities that are available to elevate themselves, “… but not me. The provisions are there so why not.”

Despite his passion for self development and the strong desire to be one of the capable persons to do so much to help in the development of the Virgin Islands, our Young Professional is often times saddened by the fact that, “Sometimes it’s very stagnant around here, things are very slow and it tends to want to frustrate you.” He was at the time referring to the atmosphere of the lack of development in the VI. “There is lots more we can do that we are not doing and it pains my heart, the world around us is progressing and we seem comfortable with where we are today, it’s my fervent prayers that this will soon change because I love my land, you hear me, I love this place and want to see it developed and I am prepared to do my part.” He further added, “We have been champion at a lot of things in the past and it’s not impossible for us to continue along that path we just have to pick ourselves up and get going again.”

Norval Young shares the same passion for the other side of his professional life- in the area of sports. Recalling his road to becoming an internationally trained basketball referee he said that it was all by accident. “I was just a table boy.” He said. Further telling the story of his life in this area, he recalled being selected to attend a basket ball clinic. “I didn’t even know at the time while going through the programme that it was a certificate programme that would have made me a professional referee.” It was until he was told of having to do an examination that reality kicked in. “I did it anyway and here I am today trained as a referee and have been effectively doing so up until this day.” This has seen him refereeing games in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Bolivia among other countries.

He said was very important that equally, both persons holding the table and those performing the tasks as referee should be trained together. “Very often we find the man at the table struggling to understand signals and communication with referees and that is very unprofessional so they both need to go through the same training,” said Young.

Recently he has extended that passion into the area of football. While his is yet to receive international training in this area he is quite sure that one day he will be and when this happens he will fulfill his dreams of officiating at the big zing games and tournaments including CONCACAF and the FIFA World Cup tournaments.

Despite his full plate of work as a Government employee and the many hours on the basketball and football courts and fields respectively, he still finds time to fulfill his commitments as the current president of the Valley Sounds Lion’s Club on the Island of his birth and upbringing Virgin Gorda. This is his third year as the club’s president and prides his invested time in its back-to-school programme. “I remember a mother saying thanks to me for the assistance which enabled her kids to go to school that year and that is one of the most cherish memories for me being a Lion,” he told this news site.

The pride of his life at this stage, and will always be, are his two adorable children; 3-Year-old Kristian J’Cori Young, who resides in the twin island of Trinidad and Tobago, “Boi, he is three but I say he is fifteen, that boy is a handful,” and Saoirse Meeka Young, “My sweet angel there is nothing in this world I would trade for my two children, nothing,” said daddy Norval A. Young.