Pro Camps and Age....

[Carl Childress]

Originally posted by jpc2119
This may be posted elsewhere on the board, and for that I apologize, but anyway here is my question to all of you...

I am 20 years old, and have been umpring various levels (little league through DII College) and have been told by coaches / other members of my board that I should go to one of the pro schools and try to get a pro job. I have also been told that the older you are, the less chance you stand of being one of the 25 from each schools send to the PBUC.

Sooo do I go to the camp this January and forgo my last year and a half of college or do I wait until i graduate and go to the camp when I am 22? If being 20 rather than 22 makes a big enough difference, I don't see how I can turn it down. However, if I don't make it, I've got to go back to college (until I try it again the next year). Also, if I do make it and something happens like a strike or I get hurt, I have no college degree.

Your thoughts and opinions are greatly appreciated, and Happy Thanksgiving.

JP

Stay in college.

An umpire I've trained since he was 17 went from USSSA 11u to NCAA in three years. This past summer he called 96 games in the Canadian-American League, an independent pro league using three umpires.

He was the only umpire in the League who had not been to pro school.

The first weekend in November, we went to the North Texas Umpire Clinic, Chief Clinician Jim Evans. Three of the four instructors were from the Academy.

"Hey, you're good," was the standard comment. "You goig to the Academy next year?"

His reply: "No, 08. I'm going to get my degree first."

To a man, they said: "Terrific!"

Javi will be 22 when he goes to Florida. But if things don't work out, he will have his degree in hand.

It's better to have and not need it, than to need it....