ASA Nationals
 

Okay, I'll ask it. Who has their assignments, and where ya headin'?

USA/ASA 18A in Hemet, CA. Plus 18G SoCal Regional and Champions Cup

Nice!

Just got done working an 18uA ASA qualifier this weekend.

Got my contract last week for ASA Men's 50 and Over in Prescott, AZ in September.

14U in Killeen, TX ..... but a foot injury may cause me to opt out (dammit!)

12U B in Las Cruces, NM

I'll be doing my own little part in the Men's Class E SP in Johnson City, TN.

ASA/USA 14U @ Moline, IL

Congrats to all of you!

I'm not going to umpire..........I'm going to play. :D

got nothing. have no idea. guess i need to change associations.

ASA Nationals
 

18U Gold in Marietta, GA.

I can help with that. Let me know.;)

Congratulations and good luck to all....especially anyone who's going to their first national.

1st Nat this year. Men's "E" SP in Bismarck, ND.

WHINER BALL!:eek:

just kidding, you will have a great time.

I had a great time last year in Salem for the D&E Nats. Some pretty decent competition all around, and VERY little whining.

Well, now I have been moved to the Men's 40 and over FP in Prescott, AZ in August. My understanding is that Dave Epperson will be the UIC.

i still do not know about my nationals, but i am going to a gold qualifier in 10ish days.

Good luck & best wishes to all
Folks in district 4 in Pa do not get the opportunity to work nationals.
So, y'all have some envy from me.

USA/ASA 18A in Hemet, CA. I know I'm doing the 18G territorial in roseville. Not sure about any so cal quals but maybe.

looks like I'll make it to Killeen ...

Thats maybe the best news I have heard all month!

(btw, 'mrs okla21fan' is going to the 16U A in College Station. I like to think it because I 'taught her everything she knows'! lol But even after 20+ years of umpiring and 20+ years as a catcher behind the plate for me, her zone is 100 times more consistent than mine :p )

okla21fan I just finished doing a qualifier for the 16u at college station. I know that mrs oklafan21 will see some good ball if the teams that showed up and the team that won are any indication. BTW I am doing a mens class c national in tupelo ms.

Girls' A Western 18-U FP, Hayward, CA.

Coed C, Portland, OR

1st National ever.....I'm excited!!!!

Congrats! Hope it's a great one for you. :)

Wade,
Looks like I will see you there.

Sweet. Should be miserable in an awesome way. :D ;). Gotta love the desert in August.

Finally got my assignment..

Men's Class B Slow Pitch West, Dallas Texas.

My first B Nat'l. Yeah, I'm kinda stoked.

Girls' B Eastern 14-U FP, York, PA. Also 1st nat'l for me.

Congrats! Hope you have a great time!

Is anybody coming to Raleigh for the 18U this weekend?

When and where is this tourney? I'd like to watch.

Stuff happens!

Was a last minute fill in for a 10UB territory in Gadsden, AL. It folded at the last second!

Was going to be co-ordinater at the JO 10U-18U SlowPitch, It folded as well!

I'm close to Marietta (gold). I may just get to watch this year.

According to the link on the ASA National website it's being held at Kiest Park. Sept. 3 - Sept. 6

Dallas Softball Managers Association (DSMA) - adult softball leagues for the City of Dallas, Texas

got "unselected" from my Nat'l ... seems they didnt have as many teams as expected .... sucks

Ouch... That stinks, man. I think there may be a few Nats that will share the same experience.

u18 Northern Nationals. In Novi Michigan.

F.Y.I.

Women's Major FP in Stratford, CT was cancelled due to lack of teams.

Maybe it is just me, but I think the higher levels of adult FP are going to follow the path of SP Super and Major and "elite" themselves into extinction.

To me, that's karma.

Last year's Women's Major (that I was assigned to) also failed due to a lack of teams. The cause (according to teams that were contacted) was that Stratford Brakettes held a "National" caliber tournament, and the teams weren't willing to travel a second time to Auburn, Alabama.

The few teams that had signed up for Auburn vowed they wouldn't go to Stratford this year. I guess they followed through (I know of one for sure).

Same "excuse", they didn't want to spend two weekends in Stratford which was awarded the tournament by Special Events due to the lack of bidders last year.

They had four teams and it dropped to two. From what I can gather, the Brakettes and local ASA association are at odds over the format, as if there is much you can do which so few teams. OTOH, the ASA folks in CT have been there for quite a while so I don't know what changed in the last couple years.

So. National
 

I just finished the 18u Gold/Class A So. National in Raleigh, NC. Combined between the two divisions there were only 30 teams. They played a two day tournament over a span of four days.

got a call last night ... "hey can you go to College Station (TX) to work the 16U-A?" ... seems they "forgot" 16U-A requires 3 man crews for all bracket games and now they are 20 umpires short.

after being "unselected" from one Nat'l, well, lets just leave it at "no thanks" :-)

I was wondering if you got the call too. When the assignments came out 3 months ago, I mentioned to the 'powers that be', that by Code, they would be required to run 3 man crews for bracket play, and they said that had been changed in the Code a 'few years' ago.

But what do I know? :D

It isn't good, but you were not "unselected". They cannot put a gun to the head of the teams and make them play, but they have to be prepared. Or they could have kept you on the roster, work one or two games a day. This is the business end of it. It isn't nice, but it may have been necessary.

But if that was your reason for turning them down for the 16U....well, lets say I'm disappointed. You original selection to Killeen may have been what got you the call for the 16U.

I understand the why, its understandable & not a problem


as far as why "no" ... I took off work last week, not this week ...

good clear up.

I got an email saturday night for the eastern 18u and gold in my backyard, Sterling, VA.

And I just ran into one of Mike's guys and he explained the origin of IrishMafia. do they know, Mike?

I certainly don't.

Do tell, Mike... Do tell...

Thank you, that is good to hear. Just didn't quite sound that way.

Yeah, did Bruce tell you the advice I gave him yesterday?

He-he, is that the part where you said, "If you tell anybody, no one will ever find you?" :D

Hope you guys have fun up in Sterling. Had asked work for the week off because I was told I would be one of the umpires going to this event, but then was told was not needed. So, back to work I went. :)

ASA Tournaments not Making this Year
 

Is it just me, or does it seem that a lot more ASA tournaments are not making this year?

its not you, its a fact

Remember a while back when a poster was 'complaining' about going to a national and not getting enough games for the pay? Well, 'mrs okla21fan' just called from College Station between some games and since Monday she will have worked 16 games (4 a day). While you might not think that is too many, the temps are over 100 degrees by noon and the level of play is pretty good. They are still short blues for this National as new faces are arriving each day, but the blues are doing Yeoman's work. She (and others) didn't get to their hotel last night until after 1:45 AM, and were back on the fields for 8 AM games today. Her last game tonight is scheduled for a mid night start.

She said she is learning much at her first class A nationals and that alone is worth any monetary loss she might incur (suffering to the posting complaining about game fees)

Stinks to be stuck in the office this week, knowing they could use extra blues.

It seems to be pretty much in the divisions and classifications that are getting weaker (i.e. JO SP, some Adult FP, etc.) Meanwhile, it seems like the JO Girls FP is going crazy in some areas.

No he did not.

Mark said they orginally had 50 umps or so needed but not enough teams showed up. They have gone with 32 umps and most are from out of state. Piedmont has 3 I think and Central VA has 4 I know of. I am from NO VA but it is a Central VA slot.Lots of umps who do college ball. Once they get the box stance they seem to have a hard time going back or using the slot.

The father and son tandem from VA beach area is here. Was expecting to see you.

Its the same thing I tell every umpire before going to a national:

Don't **** up!

I had heard this year that approx 70% of all of the umpire slots for nationals (with the exception of 18Gold, and Men's and women's Majors) were going to umpires from the host association to cut down on travel expenses. Is this correct?

From ASA Code:

03.

a.

c.

( 3 ).

small correction from my earlier post:

'mrs okla21fan' will have 5 games today. (out of 9 games slots on her field and last game starts at midnight tonight)) I don't envy the blues who are working their fbutts off in College Station. From the calls I have received, the whole blue crew is really working hard under the circumstances. At least tomorrow the number of fields drops from about 15 to 11, so there should be more flexibility.

at least the high today was 'only' 99 degrees :D

The father/son tandem are there because they were assigned thru Piedmont, not Central. We only had 1 from Tidewater that was selected to go. Hey, maybe I can make it to the slow pitch nationals in Salem next month. Maybe. Keep me posted on how it's going up there.

Serg

I have heard that they are trying to utilize umpires in the general area in order to cut down on costs for everyone.

Got the call last night that mine made for next weekend. My first Slow Pitch National.

ASA Slow Pitch Women's Masters 35-Over - Tupelo, MS

Congrats, Dukat! Hope you have a great time calling your first National.

Not my first National, Just my first Slow Pitch National.

I have done 2 Fast Pitch Nationals previously.

Hey DUKAT I'll be looking forward to meeting you. I am also going to the tourn. in Tupelo. This will be my third and my second with this UIC. He is a good one.

Hey Dukat I just looked at your profile and saw where you were from and I know who you are. LOL

Ahhh... My mistake. :)

Will you be applying for NIF after this?

I am planning on it.
I am planning on applying for both NIF and Gold Medal upon returning.

Same here. This will be my third National, and I've met all of my other requirements.

I consider myself to be extremely fortunate to have been offered those opportunities. Lucky, even.

My evaluator said that his only criticism of my plate game was that I missed a spot when I cleaned the plate. Go ASA:):D mechanics. so that was cool.

I saw the guy from tidewater at the umps meeting but we have been at different fields. Sounds like central va has 3 people then. The local assoiciation lost about 15 slots due to a lack of teams, I figure.

I had an ejection for umpire abuse. They got on my partner and when time was called I walked over to the dugout, asked who the assistant coach was and promoted him to head coach. Then instructed partnet hc had been ejected and to clean up. He took over from there.

I am having fun umping and tonight i get to get to go to a Gilberto Santa Rosa concert in Tysons Corner as a birthday present (hit the 1/2 century mark this 10th).

Congratulations, Ronald. Understand you had 1B for the loser's final today.

Thank You. Your guy had 3b. We had tons of plays and rotations to do as it ended 7 to 6. They got their money's worth and some.

Hey guys I don't get on here that much but I just wanted to say I have learned a lot by reading and studying these threads and that I just finished my third ASA National in Tupelo MS.. I was honored to have worked with some great umpires and was even more honored by the UIC and worked the plate in the Championship game. Another umpire who is a regular provider to this forum Dukat worked first base in the If game. I think I will apply for the UIF and the gold in the medals program. Life is good!!

Just got word that the Men's E Slow Pitch National in Johnson City, TN, has been cancelled.

Bummer. I may still get sent to a different National for the same weekend, but no promises. If it happens, wonderful! If not, oh well, better luck next year!

Really? The classification the player's demanded and they cannot get enough teams for a tournament?

That is pitiful.

I agree, it is pitiful. So far, we only have 35 teams signed up for the Men's "E" Northern. You would think all these rec teams would be chomping at the bit to get into a national tournament for their level of ball. :confused:

I surmise a lot of it has to do with one thing: the economy.

Or ASA held the line on reclassification. The guy who chairs our Classification Committee reviewed the status of some of the players in our state and sent a request for reclassification of a dozen player or so from C or D to E because the player is no longer with a team at that level.

OKC summarily denied any reduction in class to the E level. This impressed me since that was my fear.

Maybe teams not being permitted automatic drop in classification stymied some trophy-hunting plans.

What's wrong with the economy? I guess living in North Dakota has sheltered me from the rest of the country since the economy here is actually flourishing. Anybody need a job? Come to North Dakota, we have plenty.

Would I have to start using that silly accent again? Man, I worked so hard at getting rid of it... :D

Just got a call from my UIC. I'm now being sent to the Senior Men's Slow Pitch National in Burlington, which I have called before. Looking forward to it, as CM is an excellent UIC.

Being that I was stationed at Minot for about 6 years, and started umpiring there, find me a job and I would gladly consider moving back there. I loved it. And being selected to umpire at the McQuade tournament my first year was a great thrill!

And yes Mike, they have plenty of Tabasco there! :D

Serg

Finding a job is the easy part, they'll find you. Finding housing in western ND, now that's the challenge. The oil boom is huge and it's not going away anytime soon. They've found the largest oil deposit on this side of the planet in western ND/eastern MT.

what part of the state? I have a brother in the Fargo area. Maybe time to move out there.

Ron

The Fargo area isn't ND, that's just an extension of MN that they make us claim! ;) I don't know what the job market in the eastern part of ND is like, all the jobs in the oil field would be found between Dickinson, Williston and Minot in the NW corner of North Dakota.

I worked the ASA Mens FP 40 and Over this past weekend. Only 5 teams, 6 umpires.

All games were three umpire, one on, one off until one of the umpires tweaked a knee and could not continue.

All games were at the same field, which was nice, because our UIC could watch every pitch of every game and provide a complete evaluation.

One of the best National Tournament experiences that I have had.

Andy,

Have you met the criteria now for elite? If so, congrats.

Even if this makes the tournament qualification requirement, you cannot know if you met the criteria until you get the evaluation; it must average Excellent in the LAST qualifying tournament to be considered for ASA/USA Elite, is my understanding.

Still have to do one more of the qualifying tournaments to be eligible...that and get the excellent rating!

Just got my final evaluation for the nat I worked. 56 out of 60 for an Excellent overall eval. Worked 13 games with 7 behind the dish. I thought I did pretty good with the limited 2-man experience and zero 3-man experience I had. After the weekend, I felt very comfortable with the rotations and positioning. I do have to give the credit where it's do. We had some fantastic evaluators with all 6 being at the Elite level. Mike Wolf (ND), Elliott Gerhardt (ND), Al Ziemann (ND), Tim Watts (NE), Tommy Borucki (formally NJ but now NE) and Rich Skorheim (SD). These guys were awesome to work with. We were watched just about every inning of every game and at times had 2 evaluators evaluating the same game. I learned a lot in four days. Also made some good friends and unforgettable memories. Hope to do it all again someday.

Nebraska? So that's where Borucki ended up. :eek: