Thread: Umpire Ethics
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Old Thu Jan 23, 2014, 11:26am
Manny A Manny A is offline
Stirrer of the Pot
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Lowcountry, SC
Posts: 2,380
Quote:
Originally Posted by scrounge View Post
I would just tell your assignor the facts and let him give you input.
I agree with this advice. If you try to pick and choose which schools and divisions to block on your own, you'll end up limiting your availability at the detriment of your association.

Your assignor has (or should have) a good feel for the lay of the land with respect to athletic directors and coaches, and how amenable they are to accepting umpires. There may be a couple of very anal coaches who will do their homework on scheduled umpires, while there may be others who are happy with any umpire that has a reasonable level of skill, and yet others who are satisfied with two warm bodies in blue. Why take away opportunities to work games where the coaches don't care who is on the field?

What I wouldn't do is make it apparent that you have some affiliation with a school that can be perceived as a problem. You certainly wouldn't want to be quite vocal at your kid's game against Notre Dame Prep School, and then be the plate umpire for NDPS's next game.
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"Let's face it. Umpiring is not an easy or happy way to make a living. In the abuse they suffer, and the pay they get for it, you see an imbalance that can only be explained by their need to stay close to a game they can't resist." -- Bob Uecker
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