I enjoy calling and striving to become better. I have family and hate being away from them but will to go to a clinic or to a tourney. I like the money side of it as well. I put it back into my umpiring (baseball, football and basketball) or for things for the family i.e. Christmas as I love having big Christmas for them, especially toys for my daughter.

I don't have as much fun as I used to have calling as I take it more serious now than I did a few years ago. I like the big games but won't die if I don't get them. Some times I think about just saying to heck with it and calling tons of coach pitch but usually one day listening to parents screaming about Johnnie being robbed when they have not figured out that Johnnie needs to play with barbies instead of baseballs is all it takes to set me right. Don't mind calling some college ball but really have no desire, due to no real time, to try and move up to D1 ball.

I have a couple friends that do nothing but umpire. I sometimes envy them but would not trade my family, especially my daughter for that "carefree" life. One of them has been calling the same amount of time as me (5 years) but he is ahead of me as far as gatting the bigger games since he had the time and money to go to pro school. I have to settle for weekend clinics of 1 to 3 days, tho I hope to go to Arizona in the next couple years for a week long one. So this is why I don't get upset about not getting the big games.

Not sure where that puts me on the list but that is basically where I am at.

Your right about that Garth and it shows. Which is why I stick to doing rec ball with my coaching.

1,2, or 3
 

I,ll have to say #2, with a sprinkle of 1 and 3 occasionally.

I won't be suprised if most answers are number 2.
Most people who would bother to come to a forum about rules, pretty much show that their willing to put an effort into improving their umpiring.

Why categorize ??
 

Does it truly make a difference why we do what we do ?

I think most of us are an amalgamation of all three, with alot more number 3 in the mix than we would like to admit.



Doug

Because you get paid.

Holy cow!

The reason I became an umpire, and continue to do so, is because we have an abundance of " Smitty's " in our area. I have seen a lot of athletes ( male and female ) who have worked hard and obviously strive to play better ball everytime they go out. And I have seen the " Smitty's " rule in games where they could care less - and their efforts show it. I feel strongly that when the ball players hit the field, they deserve the best officiating available by an official who will give 100 % - whatever that may be. But officials who won't hustle, who don't know the rules, or do know the rules but choose not to enforce them, are intolerable to me and I will continue to do my best to replace those guys with better officiating.
I won't be doing any BIG games and will probably be " stuck " at the High School/American Legion level the rest of my career, because I choose to be here. But, I will continue to try to improve so that when I work any game, no one will be able to question my understanding and application of the rules or my willingness to give nothing but my best effort.

I have the utmost respect for those who pursue higher goals and say thanks to those who prefer to work lower level competition. Both are important in our sport and are needed.

funny and insightful, at the same time :D lol