[Gulf Coast Blue]

I played baseball through my teenage years and when the opportunity to umpire came up after my first year in college.........I thought it would be a good way to earn some extra cash in the evenings after my day job in the summer.......(this was 1978.........I think we were payed around $6-$7 bucks per game.......for big diamond ball)

I learned after my first couple of games that BOY, this was a lot harder than it looked........

I continued to umpire through college and got half way decent at it.......but nowhere near "good"......

As luck (and yes.....I now consider it GOOD LUCK.....grin) would have it..........I wound up with 3 daughters and started coaching FP SB the first year my oldest was eligible.......

I started umpiring a few years after that.........and decided that I would NOT be a So-So umpire.......

I went to all the schools offered......went to all the classroom and field clinics........

I made plenty of boo-boos my first year........and every year after that for that matter (fewer and fewer)...........grin

I hope this dad gained a new respect for umpires.........I know I did when I first started doing baseball..........and again when I started calling FP........

Joel