Speaking of being ready for certain levels of play....

[Dutch Alex]

Originally posted by IRISHMAFIA
BTW, Raoul and others not located in the US, please note that I am not questioning the abilities or commitment to the game of umpires outside the US, I just don't know if you have the training as easily accessible as there is here.

I'm also not offended, Mike! I think I agree with Raoul when he says that you guys in the States get more experianced by the number of games you CAN work in a year. My season starts early april (sometimes late march) and last until the end of september (start october). I got mostly 1 double header a weekend, sometimes a game extra on wednesday or friday. So I have far less games then you have to work. Making mistakes AND learning from them, makes you better. Therefor one needs the games; which we haven't a much as you do...
Training and clinics, in Holland, are given in spring and winter, very easy to go to. BUT as you guys have those umpires who know everythting already, who won't learn a thing; we also have those men...
It's a small world! A**holes you find everywere...

Then there's another thing: Olympic sports must be played all over the four continents. Umpires and officials must come from the participating countries, preferaible women to women-sports and men for men-sports. So this means that a number 6 ranged softball umpire, who happened to be a women will go to the Olympics, leaving her 5 male better umpires at home. If the dutch team would have qualified (it's a shame they didn't...) our best umpire should go. She is super!
I know some of you might have met her at the W.C. 2002 in Canada (or her husband at the W.C. men in New Sealand -last winter-).

Alex