Balk??

[David B]

Originally posted by GarthB
"On another topic I would NOT like to see a D1 official work with less than 5 years experience. Talk about feeding to the wolves. I've been there, done that and its not a cakewalk."

Obviously not everyone can learn and mature at the same rate. I know some umpires with 20 years experience who can't handle D-1.

However, I do know a couple who went to proschool after their first year of umpiring and with the next four years were working D-1 and working it very well. They worked hard at improving and went to three man and other NCAA oriented camps every winter.

I know of another umpire, a close friend, who, when he decided he wanted to become an umpire, attended Evans school before ever working a game. That was just two years ago and now he is an excellent Varsity umpire. He'll be attending Tom Hiler's three man camp this winter and I'll wager by his 5th year in umpiring he'll be working D-1 games.

After the third year, it isn't time in service that makes the umpire, it is the effort, the ability to learn and improve and the level of maturity.

Making every umpire wait 5 years to get a chance at varsity is a waste of talent and opportunity.

I understand what you are saying and I agree but I also disagree.

He's still an umpire with 3-5 years of experience I don't care how many camps he's gone to. And that will get you in trouble in D1 ball.

Camps are good but they are also overrated. You have it right 100% on the hard work part though.

I did the camp thing when I was young, and I worked hard and I made it big time but I was also working around 300 games a year in a metroplex Dallas/Ft. Worth.

And we had college leagues that played all summer so you could get really good experience year round. That is not available in many areas.

There is such a shortage of officials now that camps are used for officiating groups to grap "potential" umpires and they are training them as they go.

But, even attending camps and going to school doesn't give you the game experience and the know how to deal with coaches at that level. But then around here D1 is the SEC and then Conference USA. That's big time baseball. And its played year round.

I know that different in other parts of the USA.

I don't mean to beleaguer (sp) the point, but I still wouldn't want to work a conference D1 game with a guy with only 3 years under his belt.

Maybe non-conference but even then I would feel like "big brother".

Thanks
David