Need Some Big Advice Please Help

[Chris23]

Hi, I am writing this article cause i am searching for advice. I am currently turning 18 and this is my 3rd year umpiring. I am not going to say what organization I work for but i will say i am in the NYC area. My first year i did a in-house league, the second year i joined the organization i am currently part of now. In my second year i did mostly 9-12 year old games, in my thrid current year i was told I would do 13-14 and 15-16 age divisions and work a two man crew. I went out and bought equipment to do behind the plate, i bought close to top of the line equipment, I put a huge emphasis on looking proffesional . Pants and shirts is always pressed shoes are always shinned before every game. I made sure myself and my organization was looked at in a positive way every time I did a game. We are roughly about 3 months into the season and i have seen a minute amount of 13-14 and 15-16 year old games. To make it even worse i get a ton of games in the weakest and youngest division we umpire. There are guys who i work with who just started umpiring and are raw and guys who have the same amount of experience i do just maybe a year or two older than me who get better games and in my opinion treated with a ton of more respect. Some of them dont show up to meetings and also cancel games on short notice. I rarely cancel my scheduled games, and i still get nothing in return for being reliable. I show a ton of respect to my boss in more ways than one. I have never complained about the games I get nor do I ever take it out on my organization. The only observation i can think of me not getting better games it that i am just not liked, I know it is not my umpiring skills, I have positive things said about me frequently at league mettings by many coaches. I feel I am at the bottom of the barell, I love umpiring dearly, I have looked foward to almost all of the games i had to do except for the past ten weeks in which i started to hate it and dread going to do games. I was never even confronted by my boss thanking me for doing and covering these games for him. If anyone knows of any organization in the NYC area please let me now and also tell me what you think I should do because i am seriously considering leaving this organization, thanks

[mick]

Originally posted by Chris23
...The only observation i can think of me not getting better games it that i am just not liked, I know it is not my umpiring skills, I have positive things said about me frequently at league mettings by many coaches. I feel I am at the bottom of the barell, I love umpiring dearly, I have looked foward to almost all of the games i had to do except for the past ten weeks in which i started to hate it and dread going to do games. I was never even confronted by my boss thanking me for doing and covering these games for him. If anyone knows of any organization in the NYC area please let me now and also tell me what you think I should do because i am seriously considering leaving this organization, thanks

Chris23,
I think the majority of sports officials can feel your pain.
We've been in similar situations and await our chance to move up.
You sound like you are doing everything right and are deserving of a pat on the back.
Have you approached your "boss" and asked what you need to do, and showed that you are willing to do whatever it takes to move up?
Find out what it will take before you make a split from the organization. Maybe it is only time that you need.
Hang in and hold on.
mick

[senior]

Chris23:
As Mick indicated, most of us can empathize with you on your dilemma, in fact, a lot of us were in similar situations ourselves.
Time is on your side, although the last thing a young person wants to hear about is the time element.
Your key to getting to call your preferred level is to make sure your assignor knows your preference. His concern is coverage, and if you seem willing to do anything he needs, you will end up filling the difficult to fill spots.
Unless you're a natural, the easiest way to get involved with a certain level of play is to "earn" your way in. My favorite assignments come as a result of helping with some of the unpopular picks, however, leaving no doubt as to what level I really want to work.
You may be making the assignor's job easy for him, but you should also be earning his respect and consideration for your wishes. Unless you make your wishes known, you may languish in the "fill-in" category in his plans.

[Ump20]

Originally posted by Chris23
Hi, I am writing this article cause i am searching for advice. I am currently turning 18 and this is my 3rd year umpiring. I am not going to say what organization I work for but i will say i am in the NYC area. My first year i did a in-house league, the second year i joined the organization i am currently part of now. In my second year i did mostly 9-12 year old games, in my thrid current year i was told I would do 13-14 and 15-16 age divisions and work a two man crew. I went out and bought equipment to do behind the plate, i bought close to top of the line equipment, I put a huge emphasis on looking proffesional . Pants and shirts is always pressed shoes are always shinned before every game. I made sure myself and my organization was looked at in a positive way every time I did a game. We are roughly about 3 months into the season and i have seen a minute amount of 13-14 and 15-16 year old games. To make it even worse i get a ton of games in the weakest and youngest division we umpire. There are guys who i work with who just started umpiring and are raw and guys who have the same amount of experience i do just maybe a year or two older than me who get better games and in my opinion treated with a ton of more respect. Some of them dont show up to meetings and also cancel games on short notice. I rarely cancel my scheduled games, and i still get nothing in return for being reliable. I show a ton of respect to my boss in more ways than one. I have never complained about the games I get nor do I ever take it out on my organization. The only observation i can think of me not getting better games it that i am just not liked, I know it is not my umpiring skills, I have positive things said about me frequently at league mettings by many coaches. I feel I am at the bottom of the barell, I love umpiring dearly, I have looked foward to almost all of the games i had to do except for the past ten weeks in which i started to hate it and dread going to do games. I was never even confronted by my boss thanking me for doing and covering these games for him. If anyone knows of any organization in the NYC area please let me now and also tell me what you think I should do because i am seriously considering leaving this organization, thanks

Chris,

I am not so sure that you are not liked. It may be that your age is unfairly working against you and leading to you officiating much younger kids than you feel you should be doing. If you would like to move east a bit I can put you in touch with the assignor for my association, Long Island Approved Umpires. We have been in business over 50 years. While we do some leagues that play in Queens we do much more ball in Nassau County. We do mostly baseball from Little League to Connie Mack. Send me an e-mail to [email protected] Jim/NYC

[PeteBooth]

Originally posted by Chris23
[B]Hi, I am writing this article cause i am searching for advice. I am currently turning 18 and this is my 3rd year umpiring. I am not going to say what organization I work for but i will say i am in the NYC area.

Hi Chris, I'm from upstate NY approx 60 miles north of the New York City area. In most organizations, in order to get the "good games" ie; Connie Mack, Legion etc. one must be a HS Certified Official. In fact one of the reasons I became HS certified was so I could work in the summer where my eligibility is greatly increased because of work constraints.

I have the following recommendations for you.

1. Since you are currently turning 18, you are now eligible to take the New York State Examination for HS Officials. Look in the local papers as to when the test is given. Normally around December / January the Prep coarses begin.

During the Prep coarses they hand out the FED (Which is the rules used by HS) rule books for you to study. They also go over previous exams. There's normally 3 prep coarses prior to the actual test.

The test is composed of 100 multiple choice questions. In New York State you need to get an 85 or better in order to pass. Once you pass, the cost for membership varies but in the association I belong to it is $65.00 per season.

You have to attend 6 meetings per year. I realize this could be a burden if you go to college, but you could probably work something out.

2. Join an association which is close to where you live and gives the most availability. You didn't say where you live but I would recommend the Westchester association which has many schools in which they service.

3. Some individuals in the HS association also assign summer ball. As you are well aware the New York City area encompasses a wide range of ball. As you get your feet wet in the association and get to know who the assignors are, you can offer your services.

Finally, assuming you are going to college, if you are real serious about umpiring after graduation , you might want to attend a PRO School. I have been told by many people that the PRO Schools prefer young candidates these days as opposed to the way it was maybe 10 yrs. ago.

In fact, you see many young umpires in the PRO ranks today.

Good Luck!

Pete Booth

[dani]

Chris...Most likely you are wrestling with what my former boss called "time & station". You need to spend time at each particular station (level) prior to moving up.

One concern I read in your post was "I rarely cancel my scheduled games, and I still get nothing in return for being reliable." Rarely cancelling is not considered reliable. Being reliable is turning back games only in case of emergency. This "reliability" issue could be a problem with your assignor as well. You may have turned back a game at an inopportune time and you are paying the price through your assignments.

My suggestion is to contact your assignor and set up a time (not at a meeting because it is too hectic) to discuss what he needs from you to move up the ladder.

Good Luck!

[rex]

Chris,

Every coin has two sides.

As I don't know you I'll speak of someone I do know, now this person may not be the same as you but if the shoes fits.

At 18 he was full of piss and vinegar, Nobody knew more than he did and he was ready to conquer the world. And he could do it all by himself. There wasn't a job he wasn't able to do including president of General Motors.

Point being at 18 what he thought he knew and what he thought he was capable of doing was not what the real world would allow.

Now then when this person I'm speaking of couldn't get what he wanted in the period of time in which he felt he should receive it, he would look for greener pasture. AKA cutting and running.

To cut and run did nothing more but to add to his frustrations. Then someone pulled him aside one day and said. "You remind me of a young child that sits in front of the fire place and says give me heat. The fire's going but it's still too cold. You're all set for heat but you haven't done the one thing that will give you heat. So your gonna set there and be cold or move to another room."

Chris you want advice. You say you love the game. Then spend the bucks; take 5 weeks out of your life, Drive to FLA. In January and go to pro school.

Put a log on the fire.


rex