Referendum For Reformation

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Mike - I am not calling you or your letters out on this one. You just happen to be the only person brave enough to talk about it.

One of the things I never understood is why letters did not recruit students at OSU that were taking the Umpire Rules course. My son took it there and he said noone ever tried to get those college students on the field. I can't believe there are no other colleges that offer the same certifications. ****** used to do a great job of enlisting HS and college kids into their ref ranks. Basketball is the same way. And yet softball doesn't seem to be willing to reach out and put the effort into recruiting young talent. All you hear is that because of the coaches and parents noone wants to umpire - that's a copout. Well it is a vicious cycle isn't it?

Brettman is exactly right - there is enough stupid to go around. Something very interesting about that and other statements come to mind. The experienced umpires do the 16u and 18u games. Usually the more experienced coaches are coaching those same games. Usually the parents of players at that age have been around and they get it more. So it seems to me that more emphasis should be placed on educating the less experienced umpires and coaches - usually at the lower age groups. The parents are the tough ones here - but if the coach can't control them then the umpire has to. By addressing these things at the lower age groups it seems that the proposed reason the letters can't attract new umpires goes away........

 

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We did have a young man a couple of years ago from that program. He was not bad at all and was a hustling fool (had those young legs). I talked to him about how he got involved and he told me at first it seemed like a good way to put spending $$ in his pocket during the spring/summer. He said the speed of the game at the older age groups had more appeal to him so he worked on polishing up his skills to get those assignments.

The one thing he told me that was highly discouraging was the politics of all of this. He just wanted to umpire and really enjoyed it. He didn't understand why it was an issue if he wore blue or red or white: he was doing some service for the sport and the kids and enjoying himself while doing it.

Of course since he was younger, coaches were always "testing" him to see what they could get away with and then getting "catty" with my UIC when he reeled them back in if they went to far.

I worked the NSA "A" WS in 2006 at Berliner. I had 6 fields that I was responsible for and one of the fields had 3 young men working as a crew. Of course, I watched (I am not too old to be taught new tricks) and these kids (when you hit 40, you are allowed to refer to younger men as kids!) as a whole they were very good. One of the young men was selected to work the championship game of the 12u and had the plate (lofty honor) and did quite well. The age of these three, all under 18! They literally had a curfew at night while they were here. the young man working the champ game was literally 4-5 years older than the girls he was umpiring for. I aksed them how they got involved and it was an interesting story: they are all high school baseball players also "park rats" hanging out all summer at the park. There HS baseball coach put them to work starting on the 8u and 10u games. They got bored, made meetings, worked on there skills, and started to work high school age games by the end of the season.

Those kind of young men are what the sport as a whole also needs and we all have to figure out a way to recruit those types into the game.

Mike - I am not calling you or your letters out on this one. You just happen to be the only person brave enough to talk about it.

One of the things I never understood is why letters did not recruit students at OSU that were taking the Umpire Rules course. My son took it there and he said noone ever tried to get those college students on the field. I can't believe there are no other colleges that offer the same certifications.

 

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Those kind of young men are what the sport as a whole also needs and we all have to figure out a way to recruit those types into the game.

Or - YOUNG WOMEN!!!!

I think the "color" thing will go away as new blood comes in to the sport. If I was a younger umpire I would look at which letters provided me with opportunities to work the top level events. I would see who had the UIC's that would look after me and help educate me in the finer points. I would also look for the tournaments known to support umpires.

 

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I have always said this when I was more involved in slow-pitch, but former players usually make for potential top shelf umpires. They anticipate certain things without thinking much about it because it is instinct from their playing days.

We would gladly take ex FP players if they want to get involved. I would think the girls would relate to them better and also it might be a spark for more future umpires when said girls have finished playing.

PM me your ideas. Don't want to give the competition too many ideas here...

Or - YOUNG WOMEN!!!!

I think the "color" thing will go away as new blood comes in to the sport. If I was a younger umpire I would look at which letters provided me with opportunities to work the top level events. I would see who had the UIC's that would look after me and help educate me in the finer points. I would also look for the tournaments known to support umpires.

 

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Hey Bretman, I'm not complaining about stupid. I'm not complaining about mistakes. I am complaining about the lack of willingness to be dilligent and improve, the lack of willingness to know there are things we don;t know. If everyone does their best, all things being equal, it will even out and will be fair.

 

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@goewardjr:

I never said umpires were volunteers. I said they were underpaid (I doubt all the bills for the umpires with which you spoke were covered by the umpire income) and that in my opinion most of them were doing games because they love the game.

But you know, the more I think about it, the closer I come to the "volunteer" label. I think there was a thread a year or so ago that set forth the expenses of umpiring versus the income and that analysis got pretty close to a net income of zero. Maybe I'm mis-remembering that, but the net income from umpiring has to be pretty darn low. Especially if any travel is involved.

That is a true statement. I know right now I am having my umpires from Dover/Canton down in two weekends in Goshen.. and if I can't find them so reasonable motel rates.. then that is an expense for them.. which usually I try to cover at least 1/2 of the room if I can.

Umpire expenses is huge. Let alone taxes !!!!!

 

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@ t luvs:

There were three really well-attended events in the Central Ohio area last weekend. I'm thinking maybe your gripe is not only with the umpire who based on your description was incompetent but also with the TD who scheduled a competing tournament without any way to get competent officials for all the games. Although the younger ages hate the fact that the less experienced umpires get assigned to their games, I have to agree that the more experienced umpires should be assigned to 16U and 18U.

Mostly out of towners coming into Berliner last weekend. And I am sure they had a hard time finding any .. let alone good ones.

I just think the 10u and 12u sure get hammered with their share of "new" umpires..... and if you got new ones at 16u or even 18u last weekend in Berliner.... then they REALLY had a hard time finding umpires.

 

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Maybe the TD of one big event got his umpires lined up before the TD's of the other big events. It's all about who gets them first.

Len

We have a winner !!!! Columbus supplies Stingrays FIRST !!!! No if or buts about it.

Berliner = anyone left and out of towners. I will say, Bill treats the umpires good with free motel rooms.. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We passed up Thursday night last year.. to save him some money. I will say he likes his umpires there the night before the tournament starts. Wasn't there this year.

 

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Folks, some of these people are cross overs that work any of the letters and sometimes more than just one of these: ASA/NSA/USSSA/GSA/OHSAA. There just isn't any place to generate more officials from.

And to boot this is a huge weekend all around the state for umpires to work. NSA had one in Lancaster that had close to 45 teams, Troy had close to 40 teams, and Uncle Stans in the Cleveland area had close to 50 teams. I know Showdowns had 100+ teams as usual and Stingrays had there usual large amount of teams. Findlay has a large tournament as does USSSA in the NW OH area.

I got a call Thursday late in the PM from our Kentucky state UIC who had 73 FP teams starting Friday at noon in Lexington, KY wanting to know if we had anyone that could come. And he was throwing not only rooms into the mix, but also willing to hand them extra $$ to cover gas and food for the weekend.

Our Indiana state director had something like 45 teams in Columbus, IN that she would gladly have taken 6-9 from Ohio to help out with.

There has always been something about the weekend AFTER the 4th of July holiday that brings out the teams and I mean all of them and then some.

Now you hurt my feelings. Didn't call me.. I have three new NSA hats and four brand new shirts... and no where to go... :lmao:

Free rooms .... " a sweet sound to traveling umpires". Heck, I'd paid for umpiring sanctioning for that !!!!

Thanks for the GSA mention my umpires do ASA, USSSA and GSA... none do NSA for some reason. They love to travel

 

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PM me your ideas. Don't want to give the competition too many ideas here...

Now, let him speak.. no PM'ing stuff either .

I agree . Women umpires would be nice. If you know any.. please by all means send them to me. I'll take all of them I can get. Generally, excelent umpires. Manitou Dan seen some of those Portsmouth women work. One doesn't like doing travel.. just HS ball. Why is anyone's guess. Probally because MOST schedulers won't put her on some 16u and 18u games every once in awhile. Just burns me up when she tells me that.

Recruiting from colleges is different aspect. Many of the softball team's players go home for the summer.... so it takes many states involved in this type of program and find them work in their home state during the summer months. Not impossible through a Regional UIC.

 

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I haven't read all of these posts in this thread....

so I'll interject an event at ASA States this year.

A pitcher from the other team is not on the rubber properly. Her 2nd foot is 1-2" behind the rubber for 3 full innings. During the 2nd inning I point it out for about 7 pitches in a row. The field ump standing on the 1st base foul line (no one on base) for this entire "notification" I was giving to him. He acknowledged me in a way that I know he saw it.

So... I calmly ask him what it takes for him to see and communicate an illegal pitch? He says "she's close enough for me" and in his mannerisms acknowledges she is illegal but never said it out-loud. So, I calmly asked him "are you an ASA Sanctioned Umpire"... he says "YES". He then gets real short jerky and says "are you an ASA Sanctioned Coach" and I said "I guess I am since I passed the background check and ACE testing" :lmao:. He immediately said very sternly "get ooooff the field". No ejection though. So... I got to use some BS about ACE so I feel I got my monies worth this year. Next year... I'll have to do this twice. :cap:

So, just like my favorite "umpire" option of adjusting the strike zone when sympathy is needed for a loosing team which even happened last night for a couple pitches (about 20+)... he chose this option. I'm a pretty fair "observer" and this was a joke. Don't "bump" the rules... just adhere to them. We teach it that way... ump it that way.