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.

You are correct, but then again no one said they were not.

If they were within the same organization, there is a protocol in place that avoids any issues.

Championship Play always comes first. Also, you don't poach umpires which are in someone else's area. A perfect example was just afforded me this week.

There was a request from outside my state to invite a member of my staff to work a tournament elsewhere. The individual dropped me an e-mail to see if that umpire could come out and play (my words, not his). I checked our schedule and gave the option to the umpire.

The courtesy is to insure that using an umpire from outside your own local doesn't cause a problem for the UIC of the requested umpire. As much as I want the umpires in my area to advance and be seen, I'm not going to shortchange the local tournaments and place the onus on the other local umpires to do so.

Us? Argue? For no reason?

Never happens on this board. :D

Nah, quite often, someone brings up one thing on here, and we go off on tangents. We're very ADD here.

And that's ADD. Not ADA (though I'm sure some may qualify).

My original post again... My UIC received a request from another UIC seeking help for this particular tournament. It was all ASA. And I had a commitment to another league who was also another ASA group. [Up until this year, I only worked ASA. Just now branching out into NFHS.]

So I think the protocol was properly established and followed. I think if I wanted to, I could have gone to the tournament with the blessing of the guy I was scheduled with. I didn't pursue it because of distance, cost, and only having the opportunity to do 2 games.

Maybe this year, new opportunities will come up in a more planful manner and I might consider going.

Ted

Just remember: the RIGHT 2 games, despite distance and cost, may be the two games that zing you on your way. Not saying that was the case here, but be sure you don't pass up THAT opportunity...