State and/or National Tournaments

[Tru_in_Blu]

From my original post:

I was invited to do 2 games at a JO state tournament last year which would have meant about 3 1/2 hours driving round trip. This is when the price of gas was around $4/gal. I also had a commitment to another game the same day, and decided to honor that commitment rather than bolt for the limelight.

This was a situation where the tournament was short coverage for some games a couple of days before the start of the tournament. My original game was scheduled weeks before. When I was asked about doing the tournament games, I declined because I already had committed to the other game. Now to be honest, had the tournament been in my back yard instead of hours away, and I had a chance to do 3 or 4 games, I might have asked my assignor about it. If he said that would put him in a bind, that would have been the end of the discussion. If he said, "You have a chance to do a state? Go for it. I can cover that game." I would have gone with his blessing.

Ted

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

What "book" would that be?

The ASA Rule Book. It's the very first line in the Code of Ethics that we should honor all contracts. If I've committed myself to a game, that's a commitment that I will uphold.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

The ASA Rule Book. It's the very first line in the Code of Ethics that we should honor all contracts. If I've committed myself to a game, that's a commitment that I will uphold.

Which is written for what? ASA Championship Play?

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

What "book" would that be?

The Umpire Code of Ethics, for one (page 218, this year).

Here's a more "real world" way of doing that. This is the perspective of a local association scheduler/assignor, who also deals with the hierarchy (and wants all his local umpires to progress).

If you have scheduled local assignments first, I expect you to call me, and tell me that you have been offered tournament games. You don't TELL me you are cancleing, you ask me if I can cover you. If I can, I will; and I owe both you and the tournament UIC to make every reasonable effort to do that. If I absolutely cannot, I need to tell you as soon as possible, to allow the tournament UIC enough time to look elsewhere.

If you simply tell the UIC you cannot, he can fairly assume you turned him down, not me jerking your chain (he knows I will try). If you tell me you are canceling no matter what, then I can safely assume I cannot count on you honoring your commitments in the future.

[NCASAUmp]

Before I go on, I'll keep the air clear before I say what I'm about to say. I only call ASA SP. Period. No U-trip, no NSA, nothing. Just ASA. I enjoy calling ASA, and I have no intentions of calling anything else in the near future. I'm 100% loyal to my assignor. He's good to me, and I try to return the favor by showing up to my assignments early, ready to go. I honor all of my commitments to him without canceling. Well, there was that one time I was in the ER for a day, but I think after calling for him for over 8 years, he'll let that one and only time slide.

But let's get one thing straight. I never signed any contract or commitment with ASA to only do ASA games and to make ASA my #1 priority. Nothing stated, implied, or even remotely hinted at. If an umpire were to sign such a commitment to ASA or any other org, I would suggest they get their head checked. Just because I've become an ASA umpire does not mean I signed a contract with them. The only contract I've signed is with my local association, and it mentions nothing of my abilities to call other organizations.

My loyalty is my choice. A good one, I believe, but mine nonetheless.

[bkbjones]

I'm not very politically correct, so here goes.

If you have a commitment in ASA, NFHS or NCAA you honor that commitment. (IMHO if you are working "other" associations, bust 'em.)
If you are working rec leagues (Class B), you need to get to Class A.
Talk to your UIC if considerations like travel expenses, hotel rooms, etc., are important. Get all that stuff straightened out way in advance.


Do other associations not offer some assistance for umpires going to ASA championship play tournaments out of town? We don't make our umpires rich, but we do offer some per diem, travel and other reimbursements. We have a fairly liberal draw policy, so if you need money to go you can take it out of your earnings.

[Steve M]

Originally Posted by bkbjones

I'm not very politically correct, so here goes.

If you have a commitment in ASA, NFHS or NCAA you honor that commitment. (IMHO if you are working "other" associations, bust 'em.)
If you are working rec leagues (Class B), you need to get to Class A.
Talk to your UIC if considerations like travel expenses, hotel rooms, etc., are important. Get all that stuff straightened out way in advance.


Do other associations not offer some assistance for umpires going to ASA championship play tournaments out of town? We don't make our umpires rich, but we do offer some per diem, travel and other reimbursements. We have a fairly liberal draw policy, so if you need money to go you can take it out of your earnings.

You surely aren't talking about the ASA district I live in, John. Not when you mention words like "assistance"

I'd like to be loyal and all that to just a single organization, but I don't really care for a steady diet of rec ball. And that's about all there is in my district in Pa. When Mike's counterpart calls, I see about dropping any other groups and go running. But not when the local calls - I'll work his tournaments when I have nothing better to do. Another point is that loyalty must be a 2-way street, unfortunately, it's not in PA's district 4.

[wadeintothem]

We have big tournies every year where we need 80+ umpires, also they are well known and scheduled in advance. I do not blame an assigner who might move umpires to the bottom of the call list who bail on us to work in a competing org when we need umpires, but come crawling to us when suddenly they want to work for us because their org as dried up.

Pretty much human nature.

[NDblue]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

We have big tournies every year where we need 80+ umpires, also they are well known and scheduled in advance.

Sometimes I wish we were able to get 80+ umpires for the McQuade's tournament. 450+ teams play a 2 1/2 day tournament every year here in Bismarck yet we don't have that many umpires working. If we did, I wouldn't be able to work 12-15 games over the weekend.