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"I understand what you are saying and I agree but I also disagree.
He's still an umpire with 3-5 years of experience I don't care how many camps he's gone to. And that will get you in trouble in D1 ball.
Camps are good but they are also overrated. You have it right 100% on the hard work part though.
I did the camp thing when I was young, and I worked hard and I made it big time but I was also working around 300 games a year in a metroplex Dallas/Ft. Worth.
And we had college leagues that played all summer so you could get really good experience year round. That is not available in many areas.
There is such a shortage of officials now that camps are used for officiating groups to grap "potential" umpires and they are training them as they go.
But, even attending camps and going to school doesn't give you the game experience and the know how to deal with coaches at that level. But then around here D1 is the SEC and then Conference USA. That's big time baseball. And its played year round.
I know that different in other parts of the USA.
I don't mean to beleaguer (sp) the point, but I still wouldn't want to work a conference D1 game with a guy with only 3 years under his belt.
Maybe non-conference but even then I would feel like "big brother".
Thanks
David
Well obviously I've made some progress. At first you said you wouldn't want to see an umpire with 5 years experience working D-1, now you say 3 years.
If you read my posts completely, you will note that I do not conclude that time is service is the primary factor. And it is not. I know umpires with five years service that have worked 150 games in total. I know others that have five years service that have 750 games in total.
I know some umpires with 5 years service that are immature coach baiters and I know some with five years service that are as mature as 25 year veterans.
Like I said, it isn't they years. It is the skill, the maturity and the ability to learn....
And I wasn't talking about garden variety camps. I'm talking camps put on by D-1 conference assignors in which they look for new umpires.
If these guys with five years experience can make D-1 assignors happy, why should you be worried?
You can't lump all umpires together. I haven't done that. These guys are special. They have the skill to succeed and the willingness, even eagerness, to study and work hard to progress.
On the other hand, your initial comment: "We still consider 4-5 years experience a novice (umpire in training) They might get a few varsity games, but probably not." does lump them all together. I think you and your association are making a big mistake by doing so.
[Edited by GarthB on Jul 21st, 2004 at 06:16 PM]
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