[Rich]

I enjoy officiating, but I've never done it for free and probably never will.

I started as a 14-year-old umpire working a 10-12 league. Then, I would've worked for free, but I *was* paid five dollars a game, which taught me an important lesson. If I work a game, I expect to be paid.

I worked my first "real" game as a college freshman. I thought officiating was stealing, making $30 for a JV basketball game that took an hour.

Now, 17 years after I called my first strike, I'm ready to join the cry. I guess I'm in it for the money, too.

Let me explain. I am what you would call a gear junkie. Every season, I buy new uniforms and at least one high-end piece of protective equipment. I always start out a season with new plate shoes and new base shoes.

This, my friends, isn't cheap.

Nor is the time I spend learning rules, attending meetings, attending clinics, buying books, etc.

And my day job shouldn't be in the business of funding my second job.

And now, as a computer professional making a good living, my opinion hasn't changed one iota.

If you want my services, be prepared to pay the going rate.

If you aren't willing to pay umpires the going rate, but have no qualms about paying for $300 bats, then your priorities are misplaced.

If you are spending all your money entering tournaments and traveling across the country, then don't complain about having to shell out $60 for umpires, especially if your players' parents are well-to-do and could afford them.

Now, when I am fortunate enough to have a child playing on a team, THEN feel free to ask for my services. I could serve as UIC or I could help with the scheduling of the paid umpires. But umpiring will always, in my opinion, be a paid avocation.

Rich