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Originally Posted by Striker991
Sorry...it seems that more than a few umpires on this board have an attitude toward doing anything at a lower level...comments like LMAN's demonstrate an attitude that doing a 9yo game would be out of the question and beneath their status. This high and mighty attitude is one of the main reasons there is a shortage of good umpires at lower levels; once they progress, they aren't willing to return to their "roots." I am not suggesting that we stretch ourselves too much so we are always doing games, but a little community service now and then would be great. There are two associations in my community, one for softball and one for baseball. Both require a certain number of games volunteered to the community throughout the year to maintain membership. It is minimal, and most occur in the post season. However, it really, really helps out the organizations that need umpires but must contain costs to make sure every kid plays that wants to.
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First of all any community service as you call it, requires the individual that does it to get something out of it. When people give a "service" and they are not enjoying the experience, you do not have to do it. I am so sorry you feel like no one has anything better to do than work a 9 year old league where the parents treat the umpires and coaches as if their kid is the "next coming." It is not an obligation to stay away from their families, jobs and any other obligation we might have to umpire a game that when it is over, no one is going to remember the outcome or even care about the outcome. If the "adults" want umpires to come down and work these games, then they need to pay more money, treat the level for what it is and treat the everyone with a bit or respect. I would rather sit at home and watch a game with my family than go out and work a game in the hot sun for a bunch of people that do not respect the sacrifice I made to be out there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Striker991
A great example of this kind of service occurred with me and my partner last year. We were scheduled to do a game, but it was cancelled while we were at the field. On the adjacent field, there was a 9-10yo game that was getting ready to start that needed umpires. You should have seen the look on those boys' faces when we arrived on their field! I think it even improved their level of play to have "real" umpires (rather than dads from the stands) in "real" uniforms for a regular season game. They played their hearts out and we received thank-yous from just about everyone there, including the coach that had a few close ones go against him!
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Once again you miss the point. It is not the kids that make these leagues a totally waste of time.
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Originally Posted by Striker991
My point is this...once in while, do something just because it is the right thing to do and it makes someone else happy. That includes umpiring a 9yo game because they need good umpires, too.
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It makes my family happy for me to be with them when so many other times I am somewhere else. My obligation is to my family first, not to working a youth league or umpiring on some night during the week. If I do not make money in my real job, my family might not eat or get other bills paid. So I am so sorry that you think taking off from our jobs and working these leagues are low on your priority list. I do not even have kids and I can imagine that some umpires want to take time to spend with their children and their activities and it might not have anything to do with a field or sporting event.
When I started into officiating 10 years ago, I did it to make more money than I was making delivering Pizzas while in college and to be close to the sports I played in HS and wish I had when I was in college. I did not do this for community service or to work a specific level. Now that I know what it takes to get to certain levels and what time it takes to maintain that, I give back to every single association I belong to help train those that have not achieved the things I have so they can raise the level of officiating. As far as I am concerned that is the only obligation I am required to do. If these leagues want better officials, make the accommodations surrounding these leagues better. Like many leagues in my area have done, they pay a lot more, they treat the officials with more respect and they empower the officials to make decisions and league administrators work with the officials to make their time in these leagues enjoyable.
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Originally Posted by Striker991
Sorry to hijack the thread. This is just a huge pet peeve of mine.
Striker
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And it is a huge pet peeve of mine to be told by guys like you what I should be doing because I am an umpire or officiate other sports. You have no idea what I have to do in my daily life or the lives of others when it comes to umpiring. If you want to work these leagues, more power to you. Do not tell us what we have to do because you feel everyone should work all levels at all times. Until we get paid 6 figures for umpiring, then we all have a right to make choices how we see fit.
Peace