Wanted, Reward, Dead Or Alive ...

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

The number of officials in all sports at all levels is dropping.

Mark, Jr. and I belong to two H.S. baseball/softball umpiring associations. The two association run a combined umpiring class, one for baseball and one for softball, because we have one assignor that uses all of the members combines to cover all baseball and softball in three counties.

We had total of 8 umpires take and pass either the baseball or softball class and 6 of the new umpires blocked the entire Spring on Arbiter, !

Special Olympics Ohio requires only OhioHSAA registered basketball officials officiate S.O. Basketball. There are over 875 schools that sponsor both both and girls basketball programs from 7th grade through VAR: that is 10 teams per school. Add to that need: All 88 counties plus the 6 largest city school districts sponsor S.O. Basketball meaning there are 94 S.O. Basketball programs sponsoring at least two and sometimes as many as four teams. Each team plays as many as 12 games during the regular season.

Last year I added 2 more counties that I assign for S.O. to the 2 for which I already assign. I had 6 different dates for which I had no officials to officiate S.O. games, and I am sure that there were JrHS games on those dates that were probably not covered.

I have already told the 2 counties that I added last year that I will not be able assign their games because I just do not have the officials to cover all of the games.

Many of you know that Mark, Jr., was promoted to Div. I college softball last year besides the Div. II and III conferences. In all of the college games that Mark has umpired in the last four years, he has worked one DH with an umpire in his age group. In the over 80 college games he has worked all but one of his partners have been at least 25 years older than him.

The officiating shortage is creeping up into the college ranks now. Mark umpired in a softball college show case and I talked with some of the college coaches that were there evaluating players and they all said that they were concerned about a shortage of umpires in college softball and the lack of young umpires moving up to college softball.

I do not know what the answer is. Mark and I and have tried to his younger brother (my younger son) to give officiating and/or umpiring a try and his answer is: "Dad, I have watched you officiate and umpire since I was a young boy and both of you officiate and umpire since Mark started, and there is not enough money to pay me to put up with crap you guys deal with. I do not know how you do it." Out of the mouths of babes.

MTD, Sr.