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I have only been umpiring baseball for 3 years now. I am still at the point where I enjoy it a lot. So much to learn still. I do my best to call everything I know and see. At 18$ a game money is sure not a motivation as most of it goes into equipment. I do kids leagues from 10 to 16. Next year I hopefully will move up a level and start some of the higher caliber 17+ divisions. We have no high school ball or college ball here so I suppose the pinnacle will be to do an adult national tournament if I ever get good enough. Coaching a team and having a family with a seriously ill child I only do 1 night a week at the most. Ball here goes from late May to early August.
One of the young umps asked this week how it was being both a coach (14-15) and an umpire. I had to admit I found it frustrating to watch so much obstruction and interference go uncalled as well as watching a lot of the adult blues butcher the rules. I'm not perfect but I try hard to learn and learn and learn.
On the other hand I have umpired AA rec softball for 10 years now and to be honest I have gotten to hate it. The quality of play is terrible for the most part, etc etc etc. The only thing I call now in softball is the league playoff semi-finals and finals and maybe the odd early morning tournament game. I honestly believe at the rec level the players would be happier if we called only ball/strike, fair/foul, safe/out and maybe a few common myths. I called the correct rule as opposed to the myth a few years ago and of two teams and 150 onwatchers only two people believed I was right - me and the BU. They bit***** about that for over a year until a few of them finally attended a clinic and asked the regions umpire trainer.
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