New HS Umpire Help

[PAT THE REF]

Hey Everyone,

I’m Pat from NJ. I have been officiating baseball/softball for middle schools for the past five years. I finally joined an association and am taking classes to get carded in NJ for Varsity Ball.

I need some advice. Currently I have an assigner who gave me 12 games. I am looking for more JV and Freshman Softball & Baseball…

I am thinking about contacting my local Athletic Directors for work. My question is – how should I go about doing this? My resume is very plain for umpiring. Since I have been working for the same local recreational leagues

Should I call? Email? Appointment? What is the best way to get your foot in the door?

Thanks in advance for the advice

Pat

[BigUmp56]

I would suggest that if you don't want to upset your assignor you ask him for some more games. In my association our J/V and Frosh games are all assigned, so we don't do any private solicitation for games. Often the umpires with the most flexibility in their personal itenerary are the ones who get the most games.

Tim.

[Mike Walsh]

Originally posted by PAT THE REF
Hey Everyone,

I need some advice. Currently I have an assigner who gave me 12 games. I am looking for more JV and Freshman Softball & Baseball…

I am thinking about contacting my local Athletic Directors for work. My question is – how should I go about doing this? My resume is very plain for umpiring. Since I have been working for the same local recreational leagues

Should I call? Email? Appointment? What is the best way to get your foot in the door?

Schools usually sign a contract with an association to provide umpires for all of their games. For schools that follow this policy, you wont be able to get anything independently. You'd need to find a school that, while contracting out its varsity games, finds its own umpires for sub-varsity. There are some. I suggest asking your assignor for more games. If he doesn't have them available, he might be able to tell you which schools don't contract with associations for sub-varsity in your area. If you don't push too hard, it shouldn't hurt. Another thing to keep in mind is that NJ is like most other places. There is more ball than umpires. Be patient, be available, and be good, and your assignor will find games for you. If you go out on your own, you'll be taking availability away from your assignor. And you might want to consider changing your name to Pat the Ump.

Mike

[PAT THE REF]

Lol.. Thanks, I Ref Basketball and Football as well...

[largeone59]

Like my assignor says, "If you don't complain to me about your number of games, i'm going to think everything is ok. So if you're not getting enough games, speak up."

[bellsjc]

Our association does not allow us to do ANY games unless we are given the game by our assignors. That means ANY games... whether it be little league, pony league, Babe Ruth, American Legion, Modified, JV, and Varsity. That is why we join an association. That is how we get games here in Central NY.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Here we are only allowed to accept games from other sources when it is a type of baseball our association doesn't work. Our association has all of the HS games in San Diego, so that's not an issue. We no longer work adult leagues, so it's okay for us to accept adult games from other groups. But we can't, for example, work Colt League for anyone else, because we do Colt League ourselves.

Also, we have to make sure we block out the availability for the dates when we want to work for others. If not, we must honor our association's assignments, and turn back the non-association games that are in conflict.

[ajjl22]

Don't worry about the original contract. You will be working in the spring and it will rain. If you stay available and can cover a game from your assignor at the last minute you will move up the list of people to call and will get more games next year.

[jicecone]

Pat,

Did your association give you any type of by-laws or rules? Read them first, maybe the answer is there. If not then you should be asking for them because, you will be amazed at all the rules people can make up after the fact.

At the minmum, clear this with your assignor before you go getting in trouble before doing any games at all.

[Mike Walsh]

Originally posted by bellsjc
Our association does not allow us to do ANY games unless we are given the game by our assignors. That means ANY games... whether it be little league, pony league, Babe Ruth, American Legion, Modified, JV, and Varsity. That is why we join an association. That is how we get games here in Central NY.

That sounds a little too controlling. I cannot block time to do any non-asociation games, and when my time is not blocked, I must be available for association games, even on short notice. But if I give the association availability and it does not give me a game, I can accept other games. Bottom line, if they want me, they've got me. If they don't, I'm free to work elsewhere. As a practical matter, I generally call my assignor and tell him that I'm not scheduled, and if he doesn't need me, I may pick up a local game. That way he still has the last opportunity if something comes up.

Mike

[PAT THE REF]

Thanks everyone...

[bellsjc]

Mike, when you say "accept other games"... accept other games from who? Our association is a member of the New York State Association of Amature Umpires. All leagues, and I mean ALL leagues in our area know that for them to get umpires, they must contact an assignor from our association. I don't think I have ever heard of some coach or league official calling one of our umpires to ask them to come and do a game. They all call our assignor and ask for umpires.

[jicecone]

Originally posted by bellsjc
Mike, when you say "accept other games"... accept other games from who? Our association is a member of the New York State Association of Amature Umpires. All leagues, and I mean ALL leagues in our area know that for them to get umpires, they must contact an assignor from our association. I don't think I have ever heard of some coach or league official calling one of our umpires to ask them to come and do a game. They all call our assignor and ask for umpires.

In some areas, it is exactly like Pat is talking about. The individual AD's choose whomever they want. So yes it does happen that way. I am aware of 2-3 school districts in the Pittsburgh area that did this for years until the few umpires they choose didn't show or didn't take the time to continually train, keep up with the rules or act professional. They where hired because of who they knew, and not what they knew.

Eventally they would call our association and ask to use our services. They soon found out that they were always well qualified officials , on time, well dressed and actually knew how to officiate their games fairly.

But , yes I am sure tis still happens in some communities where there are not associations or many officials.

[JJ]

I've said it over the years - when it rains you'll get calls. They'll ask if you're available and if you're any good. If you answer "Yes" to the first question they won't care what you answer to the second.
An earlier post here said the same thing - make sure your assignor knows you want more games and are available. Also, when you DO go to work a game, tell the coach or AD to keep you in mind for future rainouts.
Getting your foot in the door is the easy part. Getting invited back is where it gets tough, so be prepared!

JJ