I had a fine time with a young umpire, who was working his first plate game, last night. Each ½ inning we covered something of the following:
<LI>Pre-game conference,
<LI>Manager’s meeting,
<LI>had a couple of game management situations where we had to talk to one or both coaches,
<LI>the infield fly and signals,
<LI>adjusting the Zone for different levels,
<LI>confidence and presence of the umpire,
<LI>not verbalizing on a swinging strike,
<LI>obstruction vs. interference,
<LI>umpires' equipment purchases,
<LI>how to show strikes and balls,
<LI>umpire discussions with and without coaches and players around,
<LI>when to get paid or fill out the paperwork,
<LI>how to demand using a polite question,
<LI>the importance of concentration and fluids.

After the first ½ inning, this young man (16) started adapting and learning and his confidence and presence grew by each 1/2-inning. He was a willing student and enjoys umping.

It was good. ;)

Bla Bla Bla
 

1. You talked EVERY half inning? ugh
2. You talked about how to get paid during the game? ugh
3. You talked about the pregame conference DURING the game? ugh
4. ugh
5. So, now does he think it is OK to come in and BS during every half inning?

Paid?
 

I agree with BJ that 1/2 innings are for paying attention to the activity on the field and/or doing substitution paperwork and NOT for umpire lessons or BS'ing with your partner. Communication with your partner should be limited between innings to only NECESSARY conversation. All that other stuff should have been taken care of in your pregame with your partner or discussed for learning after the game. I am also curious why you are accepting pay to do LL work? Better yet, why are the leagues paying umpires for LL, especially UNTRAINED ones? It is a volunteer organization.

Re: Bla Bla Bla
 

Actually, we talked about getting paid after he went to the payer, after the game.
It was the lad's first plate game and each time it was brief; it didn't take the entire one minute of the player change. ;)

Re: Paid?
 

No, Striker991.
I would not consider LLBB to be a totally volunteer organization. Though many of us volunteer, many more receive money in this area.

I was asked to help the young ump, by him and by his assignor, and I was happy to accomodate. Watching him mature as the game progressed was a good thing.
mick

Paying LL umpires
 

From the LL Rulebook:

"There is no sound reason for paying umpires..."

I hope you either turn back your fee or donate it.

Re: Paying LL umpires
 

Striker991,
Does the rule book say there shall not be paid umpires?
Umpires either get paid, or they do not get paid.
What exactly is your point?
Why would you hope that I turn back a game fee that I got, or did not got? :confused:
mick

For the kids
 

Little League is an organization that is for the kids to learn baseball, have fun, learn character, and to build community. At the local level everyone else is volunteer. Why should umpires get paid? Every dollar you take is a dollar taken away from a child that may not be able to afford to play. It is money taken away from better equipment and better facilities. Why do you think you should get paid?

Re: For the kids
 

Striker991,
Why the third degree?
Have you ever been a Little League umpire?
Are you a Little league umpire?
Where did I say I think I should be paid? :rolleyes:
mick
<HR>
That dog don't hunt.

I think you should be paid. I was hoping to retire after my first year of Dixie League, but I guess I'll have to go at least another one! Why should umpires be paid? We perform a service which requires us an outlay of cash, uniforms, equipment, clinic costs, etc. It is not a way to get rich for sure, but expenses should be covered. I am speaking of local rec dept, ball is paid for by taxes, and players only pay $35.00 a season, (waived if not affordable). Would I donate my time? I have for several years.

As a matter of fact...
 

Mick

I am a little league umpire. I am very active in my district, and work with a volunteer umpires association that does nothing but Little League, as well as doing games for our local Little League. As I cannot do games the first week of every month because of my occupation, I have only done about 40 games this season. I do anything from majors to seniors, both softball and baseball.

Your quote:

"Actually, we talked about getting paid after he went to the payer, after the game."

I am making the assumption that "we" refers to both of you. Since you do get paid, I assume that you feel that you should get paid.

Again, no third degree. I am just stating that at the local level, Little League IS a volunteer organization. No one else gets paid, why should umpires? Compared to fund-raising, coaching, managing, being on the board, etc, time involved in umpiring is relatively small. That's why I chose umpiring over the other volunteer positions available.

We all have opportunities to make money umpiring for other organizations (ASA, City Rec, Babe Ruth, High School, College, State Junior, etc). We umpire Little League to support our communities and our kids. We shouldn't get paid. We are supported in other ways, though, like District rules and mechanics clinics, payment of tuition to Regional camps, a cheeseburger and a coke, bottled water, etc.

Don't take money from the kids whose only opportunity and exposure to baseball is through Little League. Many of these kids wouldn't be able to play without it, as their skill level or financial level wouldn't allow them to be competitive in other leagues.

We are a small district, yet 25% of our umpires have been chosen at one time or another to participate in regional tournaments. And, we are ALL volunteer.

Jel:
By your thinking, all positions in Little League should be paid. Come to think of it, all positions in all volunteer organizations should be paid. The purpose of volunteering is to provide services that would otherwise have to be paid for and would take away funds that could do much more good elsewhere. If you think you should be paid, fine. Work city league, or Babe Ruth, or State Junior, or High School, or ASA, and on and on and on....just don't work Little League and expect payment.

Re: As a matter of fact...
 

<b>I am a little league umpire. I am very active in my district, and work with a volunteer umpires association that does nothing but Little League, as well as doing games for our local Little League. As I cannot do games the first week of every month because of my occupation, I have only done about 40 games this season. I do anything from majors to seniors, both softball and baseball.</b>

Nothing wrong with that. But understand that it does not apply to all areas.

<b>Your quote:

"Actually, we talked about getting paid after he went to the payer, after the game."

I am making the assumption that "we" refers to both of you. Since you do get paid, I assume that you feel that you should get paid.</b>

What is wrong with that?

<b>Again, no third degree. I am just stating that at the local level, Little League IS a volunteer organization. No one else gets paid, why should umpires? Compared to fund-raising, coaching, managing, being on the board, etc, time involved in umpiring is relatively small. That's why I chose umpiring over the other volunteer positions available.</b>

Do you think the Park Districts do not get compensated for LL using their facilities? You think the Electric Company says, "we know you are a volunteer organization, you will not pay us any money to run the lights for your league? Or do you think the Water company says, "we do not take money from volunteer organizations?" I think you know the answer to that.

<b>We all have opportunities to make money umpiring for other organizations (ASA, City Rec, Babe Ruth, High School, College, State Junior, etc). We umpire Little League to support our communities and our kids. We shouldn't get paid. We are supported in other ways, though, like District rules and mechanics clinics, payment of tuition to Regional camps, a cheeseburger and a coke, bottled water, etc.</b>

If you take that premise, we could say that all those levels help our kids too. Umpires are independent contractors in most situations. I have never been a member of Little League when I was doing it. I actually worked for the local Park District who provided the umpires for all the Park District game affiliated levels, many you listed.

<b>Don't take money from the kids whose only opportunity and exposure to baseball is through Little League. Many of these kids wouldn't be able to play without it, as their skill level or financial level wouldn't allow them to be competitive in other leagues.</b>

When LL does not have to pay everyone else for services used, then I and other umpires might consider your plea. But until then, that is what fundraisers should be trying to accomplish, paying the umpires to do a job.

<b>We are a small district, yet 25% of our umpires have been chosen at one time or another to participate in regional tournaments. And, we are ALL volunteer.</b>

And that is wonderful for those that want to do any tournament level ball. But for those that might do LL every once in a while, that might not make sense.

<b>Jel:
By your thinking, all positions in Little League should be paid. Come to think of it, all positions in all volunteer organizations should be paid. The purpose of volunteering is to provide services that would otherwise have to be paid for and would take away funds that could do much more good elsewhere.</b>

I think you are taking the volunteer role too far. Little League, just like any other organization pays people to do jobs that benefit the organization. I am sure if a field is built to play on, they folks that build it do not do it all for free.


<b>If you think you should be paid, fine. Work city league, or Babe Ruth, or State Junior, or High School, or ASA, and on and on and on....just don't work Little League and expect payment.</b>

If you do not want to take money, you do not have to. But please do not expect everyone to take your position on this issue. If you ask me you position is rather shortsighted. Because you are also not taking into consideration, if umpires are not expected to ever get paid with LL, they will go to other leagues to accomplish getting paid. Then you might have no one to umpire LL at all. One of the many reasons I personally do not do it anymore. With all the headaches LL already provides to the average umpire, suggesting they not get paid is not looking a the big picture in my opinion.

Peace

That reminds me of a post from the basketball board where someone decided to volunteer to ref kids at a low level. He figured since it was volunteering, he would get less flak from coaches, parents. He quickly decided there was too much grief to do it for free. Later, when those same refs started charging for their services, the coaches etc... were more respectful towards the officials. Food for thought.

This is my first year umpiring. In fact, this week, I had a game similar to Mick's story. A veteran umpire worked with me. We pregamed for 30 minutes, met between half-innings (I realize you do not do this on a regular basis) and talked in the locker room after the game for another 45 minutes about various rules and mechanics. This is so valuable for young guys when veterans share their knowledge and experience.

By the way, I have invested some $600 in umpire gear. I would not have done that if we did not get paid.

attaboy, Jay R
 

Jay R,
Our local league provides the umpire equipment for the young/new umpires, but not the apparel.
Catching an umpiring check has allowed some of them to buy their own stuff, to upgrade the equipment they use. Having your own stuff is a big ego boost.
If you look good, you feel good, you work good.
Good luck with umpin' ! ;)
mick

Re: As a matter of fact...
 

"Every dollar you take is a dollar taken away from a child that may not be able to afford to play."

And the money I selfishly spent on a DVD player could have gone to feed starving children.

Every youth league I was ever associated with had provisions to accommodate kids who couldn't pay.

I saw people take unfair advantage of that policy, too. I'm not saying it's representative, but just as one outrageous example: one kid's father claimed he couldn't afford the $15 fee for our soccer league, so naturally we let the kid play for free. The father was arrested a few months later in an undercover drug sting operation. He had $1,800 in cash on him.

Do the sporting goods companies donate the uniforms and equipment to LL? When a player gets hurt, does the hospital treat him for free? Does Exxon give parents gasoline to drive to LL games? Does the utility company give away the electricity to light the parks?

Volunteerism and philanthropy are fine, and if leagues want to require parent involvement that can take the form of officiating, that's up to them. But let's not pretend that umpires are somehow obliged to give away their services.

And the score is...

Mick and Cast: 6

Striker: 0


By the way, I'm with the cast of Mick!

WOW!
 

No wonder we have such a lack of community in our neighborhoods. I really didn't think I would get such a backlash on this issue. Little League is an organization that provides an opportunity for ALL kids to be able to play. It is a non-profit organization set up to benefit our community. Why should we pay umpires when coaches, managers, fund-raisers, concession workers, board members, and other volunteers aren't getting paid? What makes umpires so high and mighty that their services are worth more than others?

The local league provides adequate equipment for volunteer umpires that cannot afford their own. And, they do not expect complete attire for umpires just starting out. When complete attire is required, leagues, when asked, will assist umpires in completing that requirement (for tournaments, playoffs, etc.).

Umpires are no better than anyone else. What happened to giving something to the community in which you live? BTW, I purchase my own equipment and attire. When I upgrade or replace, I donate to my local league or sell it at a reduced price to umpires just starting out so they won't have to spend so much to begin with.

You guys make it sound like umpires are special and should be treated differently than the other people volunteering in the organization. They aren't. If you want to get paid, don't do Little League. If you want to volunteer your time to a worthy organization, then do Little League. If a league sets up a fee schedule in opposition to the statement in the rule book, then step up, return the fee, or donate it.

Greymule, you sound like my kids. So what? Somebody cheated. That makes it okay for me not to assist the less fortunate. When those types of programs are available, someone will find a way to cheat it. Does that mean we shouldn't have them? Of course not.

Our communities would be much better off if we had MORE volunteers of goods and services. I can see from the responses on this thread the very reason we do not. Greed.
People EXPECT payment every time they perform a service for their community. People aren't community oriented anymore. This is why we are seeing declining memberships in service organzations like the Lion's Club, the Moose Lodge, Shriners, the Rotary Club, etc.

I don't expect an answer, and I don't want one. It is none of my business. But, ask yourself, what do I do that benefits my community on a volunteer basis? If you are involved, great! If not, why not?

Soap Box, once again, vacated.

(Gosh, you guys really know how to get me going...)

BTW, I really do appreciate everything I learn from all of you.. Thank you. This board allows great discussions of some very interesting topics, and the differences of opinion sure makes one think of all the viewpoints!

Re: WOW!
 

I understand your point of view in regard to volunteering to help the youth and the community. I just think you misunderstand the comments made, or maybe I do.

IMO, Lil' League is not just a community level program which involves ALL volunteers. It is a set of rules which baseball is played under. Not all Lil' League Programs are on a volunteer basis. I personally don't agree with Volunteer Officiating. The flack and heartache you receive by trying to offer a service to the kids and to the community are NOT appreciated by most parties (meaning coaches, parents) involved. Quality officials do their homework and strive to be the best and do the best they can and, IMO, deserve to be compensated. If it were simply a volunteer association, have a parent come out in their jeans and yankees shirt and call balls/strikes, outs/safes.

I see nothing wrong with Officials getting paid for providing a service which helps to educate youth in the rules of baseball, represent the game with professionalism, and enforce the rules of the game with integrity, honesty, and commitment.

I want to add one more thing, we don't get paid THAT much!!

...no winners and no losers in Little League
 

thumpferee,
If we wanna keep score, this is discussion becomes a tie.
For me, what Striker991 says is almost exactly how I <u>personally</u> feel.
The only disagreement I have with anything Striker991 said (<I>aside from the mis-assumptions</I>), was the "should not get paid" and the "should volunteer" implications.

I like keeping that on an individual plane. Some umps work for bread (white,wheat,rye or maybe "freedom bread" ;) ) some work for fun, some work for both. I just prefer to make my own choice and to allow others to do the same.
mick

I think you are taking this volunteer thing too far.
 

Striker991,

It is great back to give to the community. It is great to want to help others. But LL Baseball or any baseball league is not the most important thing in life. I see many more issues that we can help in the community, and sports is not what I personally have in mind. Often times the kids that are playing them are more previledged anyway. Baseball is not a cheap sport to get into. At the very least you have to buy a glove (which are not cheap), baseball shoes and it helps if you buy a bat as well. So many of the kids parents are not struggling. That is one of the reason I do not see kids from the worst areas playing baseball at the level you see the middle class kids to upper middle class kids. So it is not like these organizations are struggling to pay umpires maybe $30 for one game. Not when you are paying the park to just hold the games in the first place.

And this idea of organizations like the Lions Club not paying member is a joke too. My Mother happen to be the Local Chapter President and had to pay a membership fee to join, they had to pay a site to hold their meetings and had to pay anyone that provided food for the meetings or banquets that they have. It is not like the local VFW said, "you are a volunteer organization, we are not going to charge you for our catering services." That I am sure never happen. But we can all dream can't we?

BTW, I do not believe anyone hates you for your opinion, we just disagree with your point of view on it. So I do not think their is a backlash, we just see it a different way. And because many LL organizations are making local decisions with local challenges, if you can find umpires that do not want to get paid to work your league, that is great. But there are many areas that would never do it for free. Especially when they can go somewhere else and umpire for some kind of money. I also think you might allianate younger umpires by suggesting they they do it for free. I do not know too many 20 year olds that can give $300+ and not see anything come back to them at all. This is one of the reason we have a huge shortage in umpires in my area.

Peace

I agree mick, each region should decide, LL is not in my area, so I can only speculate as how it works. I did watch the LL World Series on ESPN, and you cant make me believe money didn't change hands, and some one in the LL orginization makes a living through LL. It can't be 100% volunteer. If at the local level, if all volunteer works, that would be great. My UIC has been after me for a couple of years now, umpires are hard to entice. In my case money was NOT the incintive, but it is nice. I could work the same hours at Wal-Mart part time, and make much more money! If money was the issue, I would shoot for the NL !

Me too!!
Little League Umpires and all other youth league rec sports officials get paid in my area as well.
Some keep it, some donate it.

So "greed" applies to people who want to be paid for the goods and services they deliver. Perhaps these people give generously to charities of their own choosing, but they're greedy if somebody else thinks his own cause is entitled to free goods and services from them.

Well, why not? "Greed" already applies to people who object to having half their annual income confiscated, or who make more money than social engineers think is appropriate, or who don't give to panhandlers because they believe the money will go to drugs or booze, or who think that foreign aid that goes to line the pockets of third-world dictators is a waste.

Striker, if you belong to a LL organization and you want to donate your services, that's great. Naturally, if the organization requires that every member volunteer in some way and you choose umpiring, that's entirely up to you and them.

But I don't believe that an organization should expect somebody from the outside to work for nothing. It reminds me of years ago, when I owned a reasonably successful retail store, and people would come in and say, "I'm with [a religious organization, a charity, the Help-the-Poor Alliance, the Police Widows and Orphans Fund, the Save-the-Silverfish Foundation, etc.], and our cause is wonderful, so we'd like to purchase things from you with you not making any profit."

Incidentally, I umpire several charity games every year, usually as a favor to a friend. But I choose my own charities.

What I take issue with is (1) the tired depression-era argument that when somebody makes money, he somehow deprives someone else, and (2) the idea that people who act in their own self-interest, or who do not donate to somebody else's favorite charity, are greedy. Even the bleeding hearts I know have given up on those.

Last reply....then I'm done
 

Jel:
Umpires that do post-season work including district all the way to the LL World Series are volunteer and may not participate at that level if they have accepted pay for LL games. They may get paid for other games, but not LL.

Greymule:
I never said that you had to provide services to Little League. I do not demand that. All I am saying is that if you choose to, it should be volunteer. And, I am also not saying that Little League is more important than other charitable organizations. All I am saying is that if you choose to contribute, it should be on a volunteer basis. Little League is a worthy organization. If you choose other worthy organizations, good for you, and good for your community. Little League is designed to be a volunteer organization at the local level, as stated in their rule book.
I don't know what you do for a living. For all I know, you may just umpire. That's fine. But, say you are a warehouseman. Your local food bank needs volunteers to make it work. You choose to assist them in running their warehouse during your off hours. Do you think they should pay you because of your training, expertise, and time involved? Same thing.

One more time for all, then I am done. Little League umpires should be volunteer. Local leagues are set up to provide equipment, training, and attire when necessary to their umpires that do not have or cannot afford their own. I do not expect, nor do I demand, that umpires from paid associations donate their services to Little League. However, if they choose to, then it should be on a volunteer basis only.

And, I stand by my statement that a major cause of lack of community in our country is greed. Many people choose not to support their communities if it means they won't get paid. That's too bad, and very sad.

Soap Box, on this thread, permanenty vacated.

Re: Last reply....then I'm done
 

Actually, Striker991,
For the last two years all of the umps in this District got a game check from District HQ for working the State Tourney.
mick

Re: Last reply....then I'm done
 

Good, and we all have the right to disagree with you. And this is coming from a person that played in LL as a kid and umpired it when I got older and was in college. And LL did not provide the umpires in my area, the local Park District did. And yes, they are and were paid.


And I think it is very sad that you think the only way someone can give back to the community is to do it through LL. I really want to help an organization that only cause is through sports. In my community we have kids that cannot wear cloths to school, and you want me to give money so some kid whose parents drive a Mercedes Benz or any car that cost more that $50,000 so their kid can play a silly game? I think not. I will give to charities that might get someone into college, rather than help them play a game they might not play after 12 years old. There is much more to a community than giving to a kids league. Maybe this is why LL parents are attacking umpires, because they are hiring volunteers that do not know the difference between interference and obstruction.


Now I am off my soap box. But it is not usually off it permanently. ;)

Peace

[Edited by JRutledge on May 24th, 2003 at 11:28 PM]

ex post facto
 

Young ump's parents approached me 3 days after our game.
They said good things about how young ump felt. ;)

Re: ex post facto
 

As usual, you did good Mick. ;)

Peace

There are times when paid umpires are forced upon a league as well because there are no others to fill the roles...

Year after year our local league pleads with parents and older siblings of players to considering upriring to support the league. The response most often heard... You ain't gettin me to put up with that crap for nothin...

So guess what... we end up having to pay for umps from the local board to get games covered...

Who wants to stand out on a field all day and be questioned about everything you do and not get compensated for it?? I for one happen to do it (for free) but if offered pay... you bet... Parents and coaches can be downright mean sometimes and feel that their little Johnies and Janies are the best thing to happen to baseball and how dare you call them out... the pitch was high...

You never hear the parents yell at the coach something like.. you should have never had him bunt... why did you have hime steal??? But every call the ump makes can be questioned....

I think many people assume wrongly that because the players are young, the umpiring must be easy, so why spend money needlessly?

The local league for 12-and-under kids is I think a Babe Ruth organization. All parents must volunteer (!) for various tasks or "buy out" for $75 <i>each parent.</i> (Maybe it's $100 by now.) Their "minor" league is umpired by "major" division players. The "major" players are in turn umpired by 13- and 14-year-olds. These umps do get paid, but it's not much (three or four bucks). A local umpire who does Fed for middle school games oversees these officials.

The 12-and-under umpires, as might be expected, know very little and are easily intimidated by the adult coaches. They also haven't developed the judgment necessary for officiating. For example, they grossly overinterpret the league's idiotic "must slide" rule, calling scoring runners out when the catcher is ten feet from the plate and the ball is rolling across the mound.

The 13- and 14-year-olds try to act like "regular umpires"—some of them immediately threaten coaches with ejection for any comment or question at all. But again these kids don't know much, and coaches who know how to "work" the umps get horrendously blown calls in their favor. The judgment of these umpires is also generally poor. Runners are called out for being out of the baseline on wide swings around 3B. Batters dive out of the way of a pitch and are called for a strike because the bat ended up in front of the body. Safe and out on the bases is anybody's guess.

But they've been doing things this way a long time. So if they're happy with it . . .

Just a note
 

Everyone knows my opinion, so I'll not say another word. However, something everyone should be aware of:

If you are paid by a local league that is affiliated with Little League, you are NOT covered under Little League volunteer insurance. This has been stated by Williamsport. This means you would need to carry your own insurance (easy to get, really, by just joining this site, ABUA, or some other well-known officials organization).

That's all. Carry on.

Re: Just a note
 

It ain't bad to be passionate. :)

On Striker991's note, I found out last year that if you are certified with the MASA (<I>Michigan Amateur Softball Association</I>). We also get an insurance policy that'll cover us for all other sports that we officiate (specifically includes NCAA, MHSAA, MIAA, MAC Softball, etc.) except for non-ASA sanctioned softball games. Accident, liability and game fee reimbursement. I assume other state ASA chapters have something similar.
This is not an advertisement; it's just fact.
That's probably more than anyone wanted to know. ;)
mick

Yeah, I'm fairly sure (though I should probably check out) that the Illinois High School Association covers insurance for officials. If there are any fellow ISHA-ers on the board, let me know, I'd rather not go pawing through the waist-high stack of paperwork I have, with the IHSA stuff buried somewhere in the middle. ;)

On the question of local pay scales...for those of you who DO get paid, how much is it and what's the variance? 'round my parts, depending on which league you're doing, the pay can range from merely high to obscene (obscence is Lake Forest - I need to do more of those games) but for a rookie ump working a 2-man system, it's never less than $21 a game. For me, if you tack on longevity and state recognition, I make close to $40. This is part of my pitch to kids in the pre-season clinics - I tell them they could be wiping some crap off the ground in a McDonalds for something that's barely over minimum wage, or making $10 an hour umpiring.

Of course, thanks to the new labor enforcement of IDOL (Illinois Department of Labor, or simply 'Satan' to some youth leagues) we've seen interest in umpiring bottom out. The 13 year-olds now go to work someone else, since we only ask them to volunteer until they're eligible to get a work permit at age 14. It's made finding any umpires for a game, running across the board 1-man systems a royal pain.

[Edited by IHSAIllini on Jun 1st, 2003 at 09:10 PM]

Two years ago our local Little League (Bronco Level) that I played in when I was young asked me if I would schedule them patched umpires. When I asked why, the president said that the parents have been complaining about the high school kids doing the games......changing calls (at the request of the coach).....being undecisive...etc. I told them that it wouldn't be cheap for the whole season and they told me that the parents are willing to fork over the extra cash.

After agreeing to do this I remembered a few situations where I was umpiring Pony and even High School where I had to turn my head after hearing a parents berating a kid for a call he made. There are 4 diamonds back to back where the Varsity plays on one, Pony plays on one, and the other 2 are for Bronco.

Well, almost 2 full seasons have passed and neither I nor the president have yet to hear of one complaint. Everyone's happy and by the way they pay $50.00 a game.

Oh yeah, Striker, I personally and voluntarily started a sports league in this area 3 years ago for kids with special needs so I DO give back to my community even though I get paid for doing Little League.

We are called the Twin City Titans and our motto is (unlike Little League) "ALL kids are able to play."