Umpire Ethics

[BSUmp16]

Question about Umpire Ethics.

I umpire for an organization that services three different high school leagues, consisting of 28 different high schools. For the most part each high school has 3 different levels: Frosh, JV and Varsity. This year my son will be playing Frosh ball for one of these high schools.

Here’s my question: Where should I draw the line on the games I umpire?

1. Obviously, I won’t umpire any games my son’s frosh team plays; and

2. I’m convinced I shouldn’t umpire other frosh games in the same league as my son’s team.

But can I do JV and Varsity games for my son’s school? What about JV and Varsity games not involving my son’s school but that are in my son’s school’s league? Any other restrictions that I should self-impose?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by yawetag

At the least, you should block yourself from any game at any level of your son's school. As for other teams in the league, you should ask your umpire organization. If the conference record is what gets teams in the playoffs, I might even ask to not do any conference games for the teams in the league.

Around here, that would be considered overkill of the highest degree.

[scrounge]

I would just tell your assignor the facts and let him give you input. In my case, my son didn't play on the team but my assignors had no problem with me working that school's games at the middle school or JV level. Varsity would be a different story, just for appearance's sake, but it was a non-issue sub-varsity. And if I didn't work the entire league, 3/4th's of my schedule would disappear.

[Forest Ump]

BS....Talk to our assignor as Scrooge has also advised you to do. I had a similar issue last year with my daughter playing and doing sports med. I spoke with the L man about it. You should do the same. He'll probably advise you to block that school at the frosh level but not JV/V and certainly not the whole league.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Forest Ump

BS....Talk to our assignor as Scrooge has also advised you to do. I had a similar issue last year with my daughter playing and doing sports med. I spoke with the L man about it. You should do the same. He'll probably advise you to block that school at the frosh level but not JV/V and certainly not the whole league.

That's what I would do, too.

Around here I guarantee you'd run into at least one date where you'd be called into duty on the FR game (with your kid playing) because they're short an umpire at the last minute. And the other coach wouldn't care, either. Of course here the game can't start with fewer than 2 umpires, so it's occasionally a problem.

[johnnyg08]

Stay away from the Varsity. The rest shouldn't matter. I wouldn't WANT to officiate a game in which my child is playing. At varsity and above, it would also be unethical.

[nopachunts]

Our HS school chapter has us sign a Conflict of Interest disclosure. If we have a child attending, playing, employee of, or vested interest in any school that we provide services for, the umpire will not be assigned to any game for that school regardless of level. We have several umpires that are on school boards and they don't do that school's games either.

If you had a child attending or playing, we don't assign that umpire to that school's games for two years after the child has left the school.

[CT1]

Originally Posted by nopachunts

Our HS school chapter has us sign a Conflict of Interest disclosure. If we have a child attending, playing, employee of, or vested interest in any school that we provide services for, the umpire will not be assigned to any game for that school regardless of level. We have several umpires that are on school boards and they don't do that school's games either.

If you had a child attending or playing, we don't assign that umpire to that school's games for two years after the child has left the school.

Although we don't have a formal disclosure statement, our policy is basically the same.

[ozzy6900]

I spoke to my assigner back when my son was playing ball. I did not do any games that involved his HS. The district is okay but I would stay away from the school itself.

[JJ]

"If you had a child attending or playing, we don't assign that umpire to that school's games for two years after the child has left the school."

Seriously? Wow.

JJ

[Forest Ump]

Originally Posted by JJ

"If you had a child attending or playing, we don't assign that umpire to that school's games for two years after the child has left the school."

Seriously? Wow.
JJ

Sounds like overkill but this might be their solution to a previously perceived problem.

[egj13]

Here in my state the school can be fined if they use an umpire with familial ties to the school. For example, my son is a freshman so I am not permitted to officiate any boys sports that his school is involved in. I can do girls but not boys.

For those wondering why the school gets a fine, it is because the school gets to choose which association they want officiating their games. We have an instance in baseball where one of the schools wants to use a competing association...problem is, that association only has 2 local umpires and one is a brother of the coach. So they can either pay travel for out of town officials or use our organazation...or pay $1600 in fines.

[hbk314]

Not to hijack the thread, but it's kind of related. Is it a conflict of interest in your opinions to umpire exclusively for the district you graduated from?

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by hbk314

Not to hijack the thread, but it's kind of related. Is it a conflict of interest in your opinions to umpire exclusively for the district you graduated from?

Why would you want to do that? What's wrong with the other districts?

I don't view it so much as a conflict of interest. Rather, it's another example of an umpire making demands on which games he/she works, and I'm not too fond of that. It's one thing to establish limits based upon distances so an official doesn't have to travel so far to do games. But to single out certain schools or districts makes things harder on the assignor and, quite frankly, keeps other umpires from working games they would like to work.

[hbk314]

Originally Posted by Manny A

Why would you want to do that? What's wrong with the other districts?

I don't view it so much as a conflict of interest. Rather, it's another example of an umpire making demands on which games he/she works, and I'm not too fond of that. It's one thing to establish limits based upon distances so an official doesn't have to travel so far to do games. But to single out certain schools or districts makes things harder on the assignor and, quite frankly, keeps other umpires from working games they would like to work.

I get games directly from the AD. I started out umpiring summer baseball here. The baseball coach runs the summer rec program. With my work schedule, it's tough for me as is to make it to a 4:45 game reasonably ahead of time.

That's not to say I'd never work for a different district if the opportunity was there and I could do it.