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In my experience if you take the crappier games in the first couple of years you umpire and show you are available, you will start getting mostly the "better" games. Even if you are just filling in, you often get your choice of "better" games or get called first for the "better" games. One assignor even sometimes switches umps if I can work out some availability.
One note on crappy games. I had to work a few for one team that didn't make it past the third inning (mercy rules). They didn't win a game all season when I did the assignor a favor and took a one man game. The $75 fee and half I guess is good enough incentive. The other team was 2 and whatever and never showed. While I was waiting I was talking to the coach. He was disappointed the other team didn't show even though they would probably lose. They were terrible and didn't belong in one of the higher quality leagues. He pointed out he joined the league knowing they were overmatched and wanted the education. What he pointed out was that even though they were 0 for the season, and it was near the end, about game 30, that he had 13 players ready to go. They showed up for every game knowing they would get blown out. Not that I would do them every game, but if given an assignment, I would have respect for their commitment and show mine. It may be more interesting and a better use of your skills to do "bigger" games, especially when you are accustomed to do so, but nobody should have that big an ego that they can't work the "dogs". When I first started I always wanted the highest age game I could get (17/18, never adults) to work on skills and they were more interesting. I could not understand why many vets wanted 12y/o games. After a couple of years I realized 12y/o rarely lasted more than an hour and a half for the same or slightly less money that games went 2 hrs with time limits and sometimes much longer without. Now I make sure to have some 12y/o games in my schedule.
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