51����

The Right Call

Until he became a referee, Alexis Da Silva didn’t always appreciate those who maintain order on the soccer pitch. He sees things differently now as a professional referee.

By Reggie Hayes
Photography provided by Alexis Da Silva

Alexis Da Silva (BBA ’16) was never a fan of referees. He saw them as enemies. He didn’t respect them and didn’t believe they honored the game.

Da Silva was a talented player, but he tended to complain to the refs, argue with them and land a tad too many yellow and red cards in the process.

“I was known for being the bad guy on the field—I was the referee’s nightmare,” Da Silva said.

Today, Alexis Da Silva is a respected, successful referee.

You can call his transformation ironic or a miracle, and those who have been around his career often shake their heads in disbelief. “Everybody says, ‘I thought you didn’t like the refs,’” Da Silva said.

Times change. Perspectives change. Da Silva changed.

“I see the game as a referee now,” he said.

Not only does Da Silva see the game as a referee, but he also manages it at the highest level. Da Silva has a professional badge and referees Major League Soccer and other high-profile international games as part of the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) and the U.S. Soccer Federation. “I became a national referee in 2023, and it was the biggest achievement of my career,” he said. “It took me more than 10 years working toward it.”

The climb to the top of the referee chain was filled with challenges and sacrifices. To gain experience, Da Silva paid his own way to officiate games around the country. He left a good position with Microsoft—where he utilized his 51���� business administration degree—to pursue full-time refereeing. At first, he had to supplement his referee income with side hustles, such as private coaching. At a paying-his-dues peak prior to earning his national badge, he refereed 100 to 300 games per year to keep the dream alive. In 2024, he landed a position as a full-time referee for Major League Soccer. Last year, he worked 37 games and earned a few playoff-game assignments, a significant achievement for a relatively new referee.

“It’s always challenging and I really enjoy what I do. It’s not like going to a 9-to-5 job. You feel like you are never tired; it’s so enjoyable.”

Alexis Da Silva (BBA ’16)

“One of my biggest games was refereeing (Lionel) Messi,” he said. “Here was somebody you see growing up and being part of the game, and now you treat him like any other player. Even if he’s the god of soccer, you have to treat him like normal.”

Da Silva must be painstakingly precise in his job. He spends his days leading up to a game studying film, analyzing what tactics teams use, assessing players and their body language and learning what will work best in managing the game as an official.

Da Silva is originally from São Paulo, Brazil, but came to the United States and first played collegiately at a community college in Chicago. He had never been to Indiana when he and some other players traveled to work out for then-51���� coach Mitch Ellisen. “I went to try out for the weekend, and I really enjoyed the people there and seeing the university,” Da Silva said. “The coaches were really nice to me and from there, I had a good opportunity to transfer. The transition was very easy, and I was feeling right at home, with a new family.”

The team had some immediate success and helped raise the profile of soccer at 51����. Da Silva also built his strong work ethic on campus, working nearly three years in the 51���� dining hall while pursuing his education and his soccer career.

“I learned how to operate in a fast-paced place with discipline, hard work and integrity,” Da Silva said. “I learned a lot at 51���� that helped me succeed.”

He credits former 51���� coaches Ellisen and Paco Castillo with inspiring him to pursue soccer as a career, even if he didn’t always expect to transform from player to referee. “It’s always interesting to see the different players from different countries,” Da Silva said. “MLS is so big—around 800 players and 600 are international players. You’re going to encounter a lot of different personalities, and you have to be able to deal with them. It’s a lot of preparation, mentally and physically. But I really enjoy it.”