[mick]

Originally posted by Striker991
I am a little league umpire. I am very active in my district, and work with a volunteer umpires association that does nothing but Little League, as well as doing games for our local Little League. As I cannot do games the first week of every month because of my occupation, I have only done about 40 games this season. I do anything from majors to seniors, both softball and baseball.

Good goin' Striker,
I've been involved in LLBB for 16 years in each position of our local league.

Your quote:

"Actually, we talked about getting paid after he went to the payer, after the game."

I am making the assumption that "we" refers to both of you. Since you do get paid, I assume that you feel that you should get paid.

Had you made the assumption that, in lieu of having made other agreements, an ump should be paid up front and before the game at most levels, and that this young/new ump went to the managers to have his voucher signed after the game while I waited to post-game, you would have been accurate.


Again, no third degree. I am just stating that at the local level, Little League IS a volunteer organization. No one else gets paid, why should umpires? Compared to fund-raising, coaching, managing, being on the board, etc, time involved in umpiring is relatively small. That's why I chose umpiring over the other volunteer positions available.

This is a big country, like Rut said. All districts are not equal, and in each district, the local leagues make their own choices with regard to writing checks for umpiring.

We all have opportunities to make money umpiring for other organizations (ASA, City Rec, Babe Ruth, High School, College, State Junior, etc). We umpire Little League to support our communities and our kids. We shouldn't get paid. We are supported in other ways, though, like District rules and mechanics clinics, payment of tuition to Regional camps, a cheeseburger and a coke, bottled water, etc.

I agree that working in other leagues is a great way to get paid, buy your stuff, and still be able to volunteer at the little league level. But young/new umpires may not know whether they enjoy umpiring and/or they may not even be asked to work the upper leagues until they get that LL experience and are then "discovered".

Don't take money from the kids whose only opportunity and exposure to baseball is through Little League. Many of these kids wouldn't be able to play without it, as their skill level or financial level wouldn't allow them to be competitive in other leagues.

Again, paying LL umps is a local league decision. Neither is right; neither is wrong. Our local league budgets for paid umpires. Your league does not. When there are too many kids, another team is created.

We are a small district, yet 25% of our umpires have been chosen at one time or another to participate in regional tournaments. And, we are ALL volunteer.

Now, I assume. I assume that since such a high percentage of your umpires have worked regionals, that you are very near, or in, Indianapolis, Bristol, St. Pete, Waco or San Bernardino. Our District 11 is 600 miles from Indy. I think we have only had 4-5 umps work the region. My buddy was honored as the LL volunteer of the year 2-3 years ago.
mick