Greetings,
My name is George Gradinaru and I'm from Galati city, Romania. I'm 39 years old, married with two children.

I've been a volleyball referee since my first year of college, more precisely since the year 2000.

It gives me great pleasure to remember the first meeting that I attended at the collage of referees in Galati. I was immediately attracted towards volleyball, but also towards the community, the "family" that has formed around this sport.
Different people, with different backgrounds, with different skill-sets, were at the same table talking about the same thing with passion. They were talking about something that was new for me, at that time. They were talking about volleyball!

I understood later that volleyball is not just a sport, and we were not simple referees. Volleyball is much more than just a game, it's friendship, socialization and respect. It's also a community that becomes a big "family".
This is the reason why it's a phenomenon.

During this time, I had a two-year break from the referee's activity. In 2008 and 2009, I was part of the staff in the women's volleyball team CsU Metal Galati.
The team that won the national championship and the Romanian Cup of Volleyball had participants in CL. The break I had from being a referee was due to the fact that we were in conflict of interest.

I've been a First League referee since 2014 and I was a referee for over 100 matches in the first division, both for women and men.

The most important competition I had the privilege to attend to was the final four of the Romanian Cup of Women. This competition took place in May (??? ANUL??) in Alexandria.
At this competition I have arbitrated two of the three player matches. The last arbitrating match was the final between CSM Alba Blaj and CSM Targoviste.
The winner of the Romanian Cup final was CSM Alba Blaj, with a score of 3-1. This game had a huge stake and an even bigger emotional charge.
At this match I was the second referee, the first referee being a good friend and colleague "Lucian Nastase" from the college of Galati. It was a good match without incidents. Both teams were satisfied with the arbitration.

I want to take part of the international referee course which will be held in Ankara.
I want this because I want more from myself and from this profession, and I want to evolve and to learn as many new things as I can about volleyball.

This course will definitely improve and teach me many new things.
I'm sure it will give me all the necessary ingredients to motivate and position me in another stage of my evolution as a referee. That of the international referee.

Many thanks!

PS: I want to thank Mazuru Marius for being a good friend and for sharing my passion for drinking. I love him!