[Al]

Originally Posted by GarthB

In my sordid past, I served as the trainer and assignor of umpires for the local PONY folks. They hadn't had anyone other that a coach doing the job for years and some on the board thought it might be a good idea to bring in someone with umpiring experience.

I worked for them for four years and increased the number of umpires from 18 to 46, all of whom attended 12 training sessions annually and passed three rules tests.

The last season I was affiliated with them a coach bumped and knocked down one of my umpires. I went to the board and demanded some disciplinary action. The good ol' boys on the board decided that the ejection from the game was enough and one even said that the umpiire probably deserved it. I appealed their decision.

The next week, while I was evaluating umpires at a tournament, a coach bumped an umpire and then spit in his face. Knowing the support I'd get from the board, we called the police. The coach was arrested for fourth degree assualt and was later convicted. He lost his school coaching job, but the PONY board kept him on.

After my appeal to the board of the first incident was denied, I walked away. I told them I could not in good conscience assign umpires to games in which their safety was in question and in which they would have no support.

Life is to short to work with a$$holes.

AMEN... Way to go GarthB!