Recruiting Officials

[Inthegame]

1. What part of the country are you in?
2. Contact local JUCO coaches & inform them & players of need - and pay rate.
3. Contact local HS coaches & travel ball coaches - to give them a chance to learn the rules from our perspective
4. Contact adult slo-pitch leagues & ask if anyone wants to supplement income

Just some quick thoughts - don't just do flyers - show up in person to make your pitch

[softballaddict]

Try local softball tournaments. Most umpires in my area work for rec depts as well as various slow or fast pitch sanctions. Many also officiate other sports, ie baseball, basketball, volleyball etc. Check with other sports official groups/assignors.

[KJUmp]

Try reaching out to officials who officiate other sports (especially young guys), who might be interested in learning to officiate another sport in the off-season of their current sport.
They already have an officiating skill set that can help "jump start" them as a softball umpire.
If you have a need for fast pitch umps, consider approaching some "baseball only" guys to see if they might be interested in learning how to umpire fast pitch. While it might take them a bit to grasp the many differences in the rules, they already know the basics of working the plate and having a consistent and accurate strike zone.
Two other things:
1) Recruit to a specific number and availability. It makes the task a little less overwhelming......"I need new umpires" vs. "I need 10 new umpires who are available a minimum of one weekend day and two nights during the week."
2) Sell the benefits,..."You can make an extra ($$ fill in the blank) a week/month based on your availability. Because as someone said in a previous post, "it is a business."