age of HS umps. 65+

[DanMaz]

A possible solution would be a feeder program where varsity and jv help officiate midget or rec. Also, admin could further their goals in a reach-one-teach-one format that could foster mentoring and big brother / big sister relationships that could be community building on a simpler grass-roots approach that doesn't overly pressures them.

players being umps and even base coaches helps increase their softball IQ -- which to me is one of the most valuable things a player can have that i want on my team!

 

[MD 20/20]

I have lots of thoughts on this subject. It's an extremely fine line, umpiring/coaching, making a point to an official/going overboard. I think the line is always moving depending on the intensity of the game. I was in the dugout a couple weekends ago for a HS "tournament" in Akron. Our pitcher was pounding the knees over the plate and I said "she is not moving her glove! She's not moving it at all" I said it loud enough for the umpire to hear but not to show him up. I honestly could have said I wasn't talking to him, but he walked over and told me "that's it" I got the message and that was it. I think while difficult, umpires sometimes have too good hearing. Maybe they get it every night and honestly are sick of it. Now as far as HS goes, I have not seen the Retirement crew yet this year, but we do have our share of "fresh" umpires that are not as sharp on some rules as they should be but for the most part, they really have not been bad. I had another umpire in Akron that thought everything was about coming to watch her umpire. She had to make a spectacle of every little thing. She threw a bat out of the game before it started for a dent ( I guarantee it was the slightest wave and would have passed any bat card) but this girls was not going to play so II wasn't going to make a big deal before the game started. I had a great plate ump in Ashland this past weekend. I didn't agree with all his calls but he was on top of everything, loud, decisive and consistent. I know it's tough and thankless, I just get the feeling like some of them know they are "the law" so they don't feel the need to work on their craft to get better.

BTW, this is not a "softball" problem....Bad (and good) officiating occurs in EVERY SPORT!!!!

 

[Mike_Craig_-_Ohio USSSA]

Just a couple of thoughts from someone who is always looking for umpires. I have a good friend who umpires high school here in OCC games. He told me the other night that he has worked at least 4 games solo. Central Ohio softball folks know that OCC and Mid-State are 2 of the better leagues and for the OCC to have trouble getting umpires to work says a lot about the state of officials in the game.

Also just a general observation: When I also ran baseball for NSA/BPA we had a split day state clinic for softball and baseball. In the softball sessions, I had a mix of ages mainly mid 40's to early 60's. When we had Baseball meetings I had young men who looked they just got their drivers license the week before so they could finally drive to the meetings. When I ran baseball my umpire base was mostly younger men either fresh out of college or not much older. We had our veterans but it seemed like we had guys who were not far removed from when they played baseball and wanted to stay involved if they didn't start and coach teams.

A lot of our folks and other sanctions officials usually get there start in the high school ranks. If there are not new faces joining those ranks........

 

[Louuuuu]

Mike,

What a lot of baseball umps haven't figured out is:
1.) There are a few minor differences between officiating baseball and softball.
2.) softball is two innings shorter.
3.) and games are about an hour shorter because we don't have five pitching changes every game.


... for the same money!

Come on over to the dark side.

 

[Mike_Craig_-_Ohio USSSA]

Amen to that. We hosted a small baseball tourney the same day as our first event in Marion a few years ago. Our fast-pitch umpires were coming up to give me the game card and get game balls for their 4th game. The baseball guys were just coming off the field from their 2nd game of the day.

Trust me I love my baseball, but the minute a runner gets on the game grinds to a halt with all of the throws over and step offs. Fast pitch has more action and is a more exciting game to watch from a TD point of view.