[PeteBooth]

[QUOTE=tidefanintenn]Hey guys this is my first post eventhough I follow all of the other things on here. I umpire Dixie youth and Dixie Boys (9-10;11-12 & 13-14). I have been asked to take over as UIC over a league in a nearby town. The President wants me to clean up his league with the way the coaches act on the field.

Before you take on the role of UIC, IMO, you should find out right up front what kind of backing you will receive from the President and BOD of this league because when you are asked to "clean things up" you have to be a hard a$$ especially in year one.

I would start with a zero tolerance policy. Get rid of all the loud mouths and make sure the penalties for the kind of behavior you are referring to is dealt with in a harsh manner.

Once you get rid of the loud mouths (both coaches and fans) you will be surprised at the out come. You will start to attract more of the good coaches. Once your league gets a good reputation you will not have a problem in finding an assignor who will service you. In addition I would pay market rates for umpires to insure that you get some quality.

In addition, have a talk with the individual who assigns umpires in your area. Tell him you want to clean things up so that he sends some good umpires who know how to control a game.

Bottom Line if you do not have the backing of the President and BOD and they are unwilling to hand down stiff penalties to get rid of the trouble makers I would not take the job.

Pete Booth