Quote:
Originally posted by WestMichBlue
I have no problem with ASA rules for adults; if they go over the line boot em out of the game and let the League or Tournament decide their future play. But if I have to deal with, say 14U players, I prefer the latitude the NFHS rules give me. I prefer the ability to take corrective action rather than punitive.
WMB
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Have you ever had a 12 year old turn around in the box and ask, "What the **** were you looking at?" How about a 14 yo intentionally throwing a pitch at the batter? Maybe a 16 yo catcher nailing a runner in the back with a throw now where near in the direction of another defender and then laugh about it, mocking the player on the ground writhing in pain. Then there is the Billy Martin wannabe telling the shortstop to just plant the ball between the runner's eyes. I've experienced every one of these and it is not fun or part of being an umpire.
You are kidding yourself if you believe keeping players and coaches REGARDLESS OF AGE in a game is a good thing. You want to be a nice guy, fine. But if that means setting your fellow umpires up with problematic players, coaches and teams, than shame on you.
The only person you are doing a favor is yourself, and that is not part of the job description of an umpire.
I was just like you when I start umpiring softball. I swore to myself that I wasn't going to become a hair-trigger umpier. Well, living in a small state means that everyone in the softball community pretty much knows everyone else. I had to make a decision of whether I was going to earn my money doing the job, or just get by.
I chose to do the job. And, yes, I've tossed a few people in my time, but never anyone who did not eject themselves. Ejecting players does not make an umpire bad. In the case of most umpires in my area, the players know who they can mess with and those whom they cannot. I'm one of the ones they know will not hesitate to dump someone if necessary. Because of that, my ejections remain low because the players know I'm going to give them a good game. Most of those who do get ejected are the same players and coaches. You know, the ones that are too stupid to learn anything about the game then what they see in the local MLB broadcast.
Meanwhile, the "greens" and lazy umpires rarely eject anyone, sit there and take the abuse along with their money. When they do eject a player, they refuse to report it thinking that will get them on the good side of the player/coach. Yeah, screw their fellow umpires, let's worry about what the players think! Lo and behold, two weeks later, the same umpire is ejecting the same players and still not reporting it.
Of course, when they run across an umpire doing their job, they can never understand why s/he will not take all the **** the last guy took. Go figure!
Saying that one has no problem tossing adults, but refrains from ejecting someone in the youth program is like saying someone should not protect themselves when a kid is pointing a gun at them because they are just a kid. Yeah, like the bullet can tell the age of the person whose finger squeezed the trigger.
I'm done with this one.