Quote:
Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA
Just to add a point of irritation, at least for me. 
Umpires who register, barely attempt to obtain a minimal amount of training, skimp on uniforms and equipment, only make themselves available for the highest pay-level of games, refuse to help younger umpires, refuse to help their association unless receiving top dollar.
However, many of these putzes will be some of the first to declare they only work the higher level (NFHS/NCAA) of games as if that is a badge of honor.
Then there are the braggarts that don't work SP because that is a "beer league" situation. Those folks should visit OKC during the Battle of the Borders and see how those players feel about that opinion.  |
On the other hand, in this area at least, with the difficulty covering all of the NJCAA, NAIA, NCAA, and NFHS games, I cannot see anyone committing to work rec leagues until after the College/HS season is over. MY first commitment is to those organizations, and I do not want to inconvenience the local rec leagues by having to cancel out of their games to work a game that was originally scheduled for one day, but because of a rain-out or some other problem had to be rescheduled to another day. That isn't fair to them, nor is it fair to my Collegiate/HS organization to cancel out on a game that I was originally scheduled to work. Therefore, I, for one, do not accept a rec league schedule until the collegiate/HS season is over. By then, many spring rec leagues are already winding down.
Now, do I help out with rec league games from time to time? Sure...if my schedule, both on the field and off of it, will allow me to.
Also, I don't know about the others on here, but for me, umpiring is a hobby. A very serious hobby, but a hobby nonetheless. If I don't have fun working the games, then I am less likely to want to work them. Hence, a 10U paying $35.00 a game is going to be less appealing to me than an 18U paying $20.00. If the two are scheduled on the same day, you can bet that I will take the $20.00 over the $35.00. That's just human nature. Same goes for SP. I am not as likely to see the Battle of the Borders as an umpire as I am the local foundry workers playing the local textile mill workers. The whining, crying, drinking...etc. that goes on locally tends to make the game not as fun to me, and therefore not appealing to umpire. (Besides, I am just not wild about the pace of the "local" game.)
I am sure my local ASA/USSSA/Dixie assignors write me off as someone who sees my umpiring certain groups or levels as a "badge of honor," but it just isn't so. I
want to work the level of ball that I find challenging and fun. Is this all that I will work? No. I often find myself working at least a day of a two day 10U tournament because the UIC was having trouble finding enough people who wanted to work that level.
As for working with newbies go, give me a newbie any day of the week. I was working with one on Saturday during a rather important (one team wins and they are in the playoffs...they didn't win) cross town rivalry. We had a good pregame, I made her aware that I wouldn't say anything during the game unless it was extremely important, then we had a very lengthy postgame (about three hours at a local bar/restaurant), where another experienced umpire who was at the game joined us with his feedback (on both of us.)
Of course, I have more uniforms than I really need (10 pairs of pants, I have no clue how many shirts total with ASA, USSSA, HS...etc., three pairs plate shoes, two pair field, at least 4 hats for each organization, at least 4, though usually 6, ball bags for every organization and so on.) I attend all the requisite training and some that isn't required. I study the rules/mechanics/philosophy of umpiring almost daily.
Makes me wonder, though, if assignors/UIC's make the distinction between the "greens" (umpires who just work for money), and those of us who do this as a hobby, and not a way of life.