This doesnt make sense....
 

We've had a few association meetings (signups, books, and testing info) and this year LHSAA is doing the online test (love it love it)... but then the assignor adds this. "Anyone wanting to call ANY ballgames for LHSAA has to attend the rules clinic put on by the state and this is MANDATORY for both baseball and softball and new for this year"....it was always optional unless you were going to attend a state tourney.
So anyways I did some quick math in muh head (smoke was pouring out) :) locally they hold two meetings one in sulphur one in lafayette, and if all the umpire from both genres and all the coaches from both show up in a high school cafeteria, I estimated it around 400 people per meeting... WTF? NFW. So if anyone has any info? I guess I could call the state and verify (but dammnit it aint muh job :) )

C'mon, CNB. You are talking about a state which had a governor who said "no" to the Red Cross and the US Government and then blamed everything that went wrong on them.

Go figure? ;)

However, I don't think it is unusual, or inappropriate, for an organization to require umpires to attend a clinic to work their ball games.

Of course, you cannot have a single clinic covering both games in the same room, so I would doubt all would end up in the same room at the same time. But, you would know better than I.

:D:D
Come on NCB, "locally they hold two meetings one in Sulphur, one in Lafayette."

Where is anything local about that?:D:D

not for me it isn't.... :D

I can relate. My "local" meetings are 1.5 hours away.

damn....

CNB if you would go to the LHSAA web site you would see that there are 9 rules clinics. Matter of fact there are 3 in your area. This is not new its been mandatory for our area since I have been calling softball.

As are mine.....

first year I hear its mandatory to call "any" games in LHSAA.... we usually only have had 4 or 5 from our association attend and all the other guys have been allowed to officiate.

and only 2 (the ones i mention) do i consider in my area.... wish i had a better/faster car :D

ok, makes sense now... got a email back from the state. I asked them if umpires would not be allowed to officiate ANY games if they didnt attend. They replied that the meeting was mandatory (of course no reference to not allowing non-attending umpire to officiate) lol ...smart people.

For HS, mine are also an hour and a half and usually have to go to a few.

There are many more requirements if you want to work play-offs.

Suck it up. You get no sympathy from me.

go figure ;)

I can't say I've got much sympathy, either. My meetings are only 30 minutes away, but I'm required to attend 6 & an interp meeting - and I usually make it to 9 each year.

Wasnt asking for sympathy (at least I dont think I was whining..lol) what I was asking about is the state's ability to not permit our brother blues from working just because they couldnt attend this certain meeting which was scheduled by the state and made mandatory. I know guys who work 14 and 14 and some that work 28 and 28 that cant make it no matter how hard they try. and was maybe poking a little fun at the state for scheduling a meeting that will have 600 people at it in a room that fits 200. (personally I am attending both local state meetings, just coz i have people at both i want to visit with. and I never miss my local assoc. meetings... EVER)
:p