Barry is the Prince William Soccer Referee Association / Prince William Soccer, Inc., Head Referee. Long before he became a referee, he spent many years coaching his daughter, Ashley, and son, Andrew. While he regrets that he did not start refereeing earlier in life, he does not regret nor would trade the years of coaching and being with his kids. Andrew certified as a Grade 8 referee when he was 12 and refereed until he was 18 years old.
Barry became a Grade 7 referee in 2001. In addition to being Head Referee, he is also PWSI’s Referee Assignor and a USSF Referee Instructor.
Barry’s hobbies include playing Ultimate (Frisbee) on the Mall at lunch and biking. He bikes to most of his assignments, whether refereeing or observing. His biking is detailed in excrutiating detail on his biking blog. Some of his more memorable experiences include biking solo from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., (2003), biking to the summit of Mt. Evans, Colorado, (2007), biking up Lombard Street in San Francisco (2008), and riding the Blue Ridge Extreme Challenge which is a 100 mile bike ride that three times climbs up and over the Blue Ridge Parkway (2007 and 2008). But the most difficult and rewarding ride and most physically demanding challenge were his bike races up the Mount Washington Auto Road in New Hampshire (2008 and 2009).
Since 1988 he also has been a season ticket holder with the Steelers, an NFL professional football team that has won
fivesix Super Bowls. It is the main reason be became a referee -- so he could wear that black and gold uniform.
But most of all, he has embraced his biggest role in life -- that as a cancer survivor.
In addition to Ashley, an elementary teacher in Shepherdstown, WV and Andrew, a student at George Mason University, Barry and his wife, Cheri, also have a daughter, Bethany, who is an elementary music educator in Ashburn, and a grandson, Andrew Christopher Olejer III. Both Ashley and Bethany are married and live with their families in Charles Town, West Virginia, a favorite four-hour bike ride destination for Barry.
