Umpire Recruiting

3afan · #1 (**permalink**) Fri Dec 31, 2004, 09:20am

What are some of the methods your organization has used to successfully recruit new umpires? Thanks .....

bkbjones · #2 (**permalink**) Fri Dec 31, 2004, 12:02pm

NASO has some really good stuff that can help, and now they are going to pass along some of the things we are doing (especially 1 and 2 below).
Here in Seattle, we are using several things. Last year we gained almost 50 new members, so we aren't doing bad...
1. Everyone who recruits a new umpire gets $50 cash at the end of year banquet. The new recruit must successfully complete training and do at least 20 games. The recruiting member must accompany their new recruit to at least two of the training sessions.
2. Everyone who brings a prospective new member to a membership meeting receives $5 on the spot.
3. Fliers everywhere.
4. Sports talk radio.
5. Free announcements in every newspaper we can get into throughout Puget Sound.
6. Having a couple former Seattle Mariners now involved with their daughters' fastpitch teams also helps...guess some folks get stars in their eyes or something, but, hey, whatever helps, helps.
7. Stories in the paper and even on TV. Sometimes these folks have slow news days and need something new and fresh and local...even in a "big" city like Seattle.