I am from the Temecula/Murrieta area of S.W. Riverside Cty (in So. Calif.) where we formed a Pony league in 1994 and where I have been a board member until last year. The league grew immediately to the point where it averages 65 to 70 teams per year (Spring Season) and about 60% of that for the Fall Season (they run two). I am also starting my 8th year umpiring (2nd in high school ball).
One of the biggest issues we initially had to deal with was how do we handle officiating. Since many of the original founders were coaches who had been around the game for quite sometime (including some of them ex-pro players) it was unaminous that we were to provide the best that we could afford. This is the 2nd biggest expense for the league and that can often unfortunately drive the decision process. What a league can afford is going to be of primary consideration.
Our league opted to hire from the local association, paid umpires for the Mustang and above divisions. Mustang Div. (9-10 yr olds for those who don't know Pony lingo) are single man mechanics all other divisions are two man and this league goes all the way through Colt (15-16 yr olds).
The unique division is that of the Pinto Div. (7-8 yr olds) Here is where we have chosen to hire kids (players) from the Pony Div. (13-14 yr olds) and begin to train them as league umpires. It has accomplished two points, provided an excellent training pool for new umpires and keeps our umpiring costs down for that division (they're paid about half as much and for most it's their first actual job). After two years most are usually good enough to be hired by the local association to start doing Mustang Div. assignments. If they haven't been scared off by then by coaches or parents they are usually pretty good umpires but the replacement process is constant.
To say we have problems from time to time with parents and coaches is an understatement. However, as an earlier message thread mentioned you only get out of it what you are willing to put into it. Those two ingredients are Training and Enforcement. You must Train, Train, Train, and Train. Not just the umpires but the coaches and the parents. We constantly lay down the law about not interfering, commenting, or in any way saying anything but positive comments to these young recruits (or the Board will take serious action hence the Enforcement). As these young recruits are started there is always someone initially watching (actually protecting) them from the board level. We don't just throw them to the wolves so to speak because if you weren't there visible to everyone, it would be like throwing them to the wolves. Most are initially so scared if you don't provide them the comfort that you are there to help, guide and protect they would all quit in the first two games.
It is also important to note what we did with our local association. I was fortunate a few years back to have become associated with a gentleman from Orange County, CA umpire association's training section (IBOA). They put on a two-day, 8 hour a day training camp and usually bring a dozen instructors with them. Our only cost is to feed them. For the professional training these gentlemen provide this is an incredible bargain. We began to train our local association umpires at our fields with this group and the improvements have been dramatic. When we tried to do the training ourselves the impact fell way too short of what everyone's expectations were. When you see guys who have been working for many, many years begin to change their mechanics you know it is having a positive effect.
Officiating complaints have subsided dramatically. Don't think however, that this is a quick fix. We and the owner's of the umpire association know that this will be an ongoing thing for many years that only over time will produce results. As to your other point about parents, I firmly believe that there is no other fix there than strict enforcement by the league for ANYONE breaking the rules that relate to unsportsmanlike conduct. I left after 7 years because I could no longer deal with the petty BS from parents that got quite strenuous last year and mostly at the 7-8 yr old level.
There is an excellent national organization called National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) based out of Florida that I would strongly recommend to any league. Their focus is the training (there's that word again) of Parents, Coaches, and Players alike on the subject of sportsmanship. They have excellent training video's (one of which I showed in one of our umpire training classes that got considerable applause and comment) for all three segments (Coaches, Parents, Players, and Administrators [Board Members]) as well as a national registry program for coaches. You can find them at
http://www.nays.org. It is a very professionally run organization and you will often find them being interviewed on Nightline or National News Programs when the subject of violence or out of control parents is being discussed in the news.
This has been quite a long post (I apologize to the webmaster if I went too long for this forum). If anyone would like additional information on the experiences and recommendations from our league with officiating please e-mail me direct. You can also visit the league on-line at
http://www.mvpb.org and post there on the league's message board section.
borrowed from another officiating board:
"The only purpose of adults in youth sports
is as role models.
Once you cease to be a role model
Your precense is no longer required."