N.S.A World Series

[NEohioref]

Is anyone going as a team,umpire, or just see the games? I'll be in Indiana.

[NSABlue]

I worked several NSA nationals and one super world series. I will never go back again. We were treated very poorly and were given rooms in the worst hotels. It really depends on who your UIC is. I had several that would never get their fat a** out of their chair. We were working games in heat in the upper 90's and never saw anyone who would bring cold water. From my experience, we were really taken for granted. Well, you can take for granted that I'll never go again!!

[varefump]

I will echo the comments of NSABlue. I worked the A Nationals in Rock Hill, SC in 2005 and was treated very poorly by the first UIC we had at our complex. The heat index hit 119 on the first or second day and they worked us nearly to death. They scheduled 10 umpires at our 4-field complex so we were usually working three games straight without a break. For $25.00 a game it was not worth it.

When it came to picking the umpires to work the final weekend, I was not chosen. When I asked what the criteria was for continuing on, I was told that the UIC's picked those umpires who has handled controversy well that week. Since I didn't miss a call or have any controversy in the 12 games I worked, I really felt slighted.

I stopped working NSA after that and did not even rejoin this year when the B Nationals are in my back yard in Chesterfield, VA. Every umpire should experience an NSA world series once, just to see how umpires are NOT to be treated.

[CecilOne]

Are "southern" Maryland or Chesterfield, VA areas that have moved out of NSA (to USSSA, PONY, ASA)?

[NSABlue]

Yes, Our Maryland group is now with USSSA.

[Blu_IN]

The 'B' in Indiana is in my backyard. My home is five minutes from the Portage site. My work is 4 minutes from the Hidden Lake site and 7 minutes from the Crown Point site. Its neat finally having one near home, though, I did do Shaumburg back a few years ago and that is only an hour or so away.

Not sure which site you will get, but if you can beg for a location, take Hidden Lake. There is a ton of shade trees on the front fields and if the umpires park in the back, its a nice place to hang out between games. However, if you do get that location, pray you are on the front fields and not the back. The back four fields are a pit. No breeze, no shade.

I have been to more WS than I care to admit, and I do agree with the above posters to some extent. If you get the right site and the right crew to work with, it can be a ton of fun. If you get the wrong site and an bad crew, it can really suck. There are some UIC's that go above and beyond for the umpires, and then there are some that do infact, hide in the shade or air conditioning. I would say that of the years that I attended, its been about a fifty/fifty chance of getting a great crew and location. I can't speak from experience, but I imagine you run into the same thing working other associations.

And of course, the weather makes or breaks some years. It shouldn't be too bad in Indiana, but it can get pretty hot here. However, it won't get nearly as brutual as S.C. and Chatanooga. I am still waiting for our first WS in Minnesota or upper Michigan.

As for my attendance, I am to the point now where I am not going to take off work, just to go work. Seems silly. If I am going to take vacation, I am going to lounge around the house, take a relaxing vacation, or go golfing.

[bkbjones]

If the NSA "world series" is anything like the Western World Series, I wouldn't put it on my resume.

This year's Western Worlds were in Stockton, CA. Eight age group divisions and NO 18s (A or B) with just over 50 teams. TOTAL. At least last year they had almost as many teams in all divisions as we had in the 16A nationals.

I've heard there is a nickname for teams playing NSA over ASA: hardware hunters.

Hope that's not true for umpires.

[Blu_IN]

NSA isn't big out west. I don't know about your area, but the same teams play both associations out here in Indiana, harware hunters is a pretty lame choice of words.

[NEohioref]

Im not going to let anyone rain on my parade. I feel privelged to be able to work the World Series. It doesnt matter ASA,NSA,Pony, or Usssa. Im sure every umpire has there opinion about each and why they will or never go back.If all these teams play in both/all leagues/associations it seems as if they are the hardware hunters.At the end of the day they will all call us blue no matter what association you work for. See u in Indiana!!

[bkbjones]

Originally Posted by Blu_IN

NSA isn't big out west. I don't know about your area, but the same teams play both associations out here in Indiana, harware hunters is a pretty lame choice of words.

Yes, harware hunters IS a pretty lame choice of words.

But...I said hardware hunters.

If NSA is so groovy, then...oh, never mind.

My choice is and always will be with ASA, the National Governing Body of Softball, the only youth softball organization affiliated with the Olympics, ad infinitum. You can go Cadillac or Yugo. I prefer Cadillac.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by NSABlue

Yes, Our Maryland group is now with USSSA.

Which side of the bay is your "southern Maryland"?

[NSABlue]

The "Southern Maryland" I live in is on the west side of the bay. I live in Charles County (Waldorf). Most of the work my USSSA group does is in Anne Arundle county, south of Baltimore. I have been known to work on the Eastern Shore on occasion. I have a daughter in School on the eastern shore. I love the area.

[Bear]

I, like IN Blu live in NorthWest Indiana and have been umping for many years. That being said; I was out at the Crown Point complex yesterday watching my 19 yr old daughter umping. I had a chance to talk with alot of umps from IL, MS, MI, and the UIC was from St. Louis. All said that they had great rooms and were being treated very well. The UIC was in a golf cart buzzing aroud the 7 field complex takeing umps to their fields. Parents were thrilled with the opening ceremonies at the local Minor League baseball stadium and the pin swaping and beach party on the shores of Lake Michigan. Our local buisness community have embraced this week long event and hope to have it back in the future. I guess bottom line is you can't bash all of NSA for your personal experience. In our area ASA is only slow pitch. NSA rules fastpitch.

[NEohioref]

I will post my N.S.A World Series experience on Sunday.

[NEohioref]

Originally Posted by Bear

I, like IN Blu live in NorthWest Indiana and have been umping for many years. That being said; I was out at the Crown Point complex yesterday watching my 19 yr old daughter umping. I had a chance to talk with alot of umps from IL, MS, MI, and the UIC was from St. Louis. All said that they had great rooms and were being treated very well. The UIC was in a golf cart buzzing aroud the 7 field complex takeing umps to their fields. Parents were thrilled with the opening ceremonies at the local Minor League baseball stadium and the pin swaping and beach party on the shores of Lake Michigan. Our local buisness community have embraced this week long event and hope to have it back in the future. I guess bottom line is you can't bash all of NSA for your personal experience. In our area ASA is only slow pitch. NSA rules fastpitch.

I second with Bear! Where did U stay? My hotel was in Portage Indiana and had games in Michigan City.