I apologize for being late to comment, but I think I have a good excuse. I drove home Sunday and reported to the Pensacola Naval Hospital for hip replacement surgery at 0615 Monday.
Parks & Rec and Umpire Coordinators were great. We were paid $25/assignment. 70 teams, 45 umpires. A good mix of first-timers and experienced officials. At 12U, all At-Large bids come from the region, but AL ASA went out of their way to share host-exchanges. We had umpires from Anchorage, WA, NE, OH, not to mention 12 umps from Michigan, including the Forum's own Scooby.
To Wade's relief, the 19 CA teams dominated. The last four standing were from Cali. Corona Angels beat Grapettes 3-2 in 8 innings for the title.
Best moment #1: With R1 on 3rd and R2 on 1st, the Grapettes coach sent R2 back to first after she stole on a foul tip. I was U3. She said, "Foul ball Blue?" I answered, "Foul TIP, coach." Then the light came on.
Best moment #2: 58-minute, 6 1/2 inning plate game, (Yes, I'm bragging.) Pitchers throwing strikes, batters hitting the ball, fielders making plays. That's fun!
Best moment #3: Calling a pool game with Scooby. Good man and a good umpire.