Stefan Campagna, as you all are probably aware, has been writing a series about becoming a better umpire. I was reading this with great interest as I am a fairly new umpire and want to better myself at every possible opportunity. However, I was completely put off by a statement he made in the section titled "Typical Softball Umpire." At the end of the section, he wrote, "Everyone appreciates those umpires who give it 100%; no doubt, we've all seen plenty who gave only 75%. But the bottom line is ... I'd rather pay someone to give me 50% effort and be impartial, blown calls and all, than have volunteer umpires!" As a volunteer umpire, I am a member of an all-volunteer association that is well-respected in our community. In addition, many umpires from paid associations donate their time to our association. I find this statement to be insulting, degrading, and completely divisive in our umpiring community as a whole. If our goal is to help each other to become better umpires, especially through an article series designed to do that, then we shouldn't make comments like this that are detrimental to a large segment of the community, especially a segment that Mr. Campagna feels could benefit from his writing. I find it interesting that the very next segment is titled "Earning Respect." Mr. Campagna has certainly lost mine. E-mails to both Mr. Campagna and Carl Childress have gone without reply. This is why I bring this up here.

Before any of you get started, I have read several messages in the forums of experiences you have all had with volunteer umpires, so no need to repeat them again. For that matter, if I wanted to take the time, I could provide an equal number of stories about bad experiences I have had with paid officials. But that would not accomplish anything and only create further division.

My reason for posting this is simple. I would like to get some feedback from you about the concept of promoting unity and assistance to our volunteer community. How do we help those improve that are providing a needed service? Do we just make fun of them and hope somewhere along the line they will get help? Do we work with them and point them to training opportunities (camps, clinics, etc)? Do we work with their leadership to make sure that the training opportunities are available? Do you automatically, as does Mr. Campagna, assume I am inferior to you in skills because I am a volunteer or do you watch my game to find out? If I am lacking in some areas, do you respectfully offer assistance after the game you just watched?

One last point. I will take a volunteer umpire that works their butt off for their community any time over a paid umpire that shows up to a game late, blows half his calls, and sits on his heels in the field. (i.e. the 50% effort mentioned above). In fact, I would take a volunteer umpire over any paid umpire that doesn't give 100%.

Well, that's my two cents. What's yours?

Where can I find the articles in question?

Where to find articles
 

At Officiating.com, the host site of this forum.

I am not a member, so I can not view the article. I am guessing that the Author is equating getting paid with being better. Kinda crazy if you ask me.

My wife and I earn alot of money umpiring, we also donate alot of time to local organizations with clinics and "Volunteer" assignments to a league or team can raise some money for uniforms, trips ect. Further, there are alot of "Volunteer only" umpires we will work with BEFORE some "Pay Me Regardless" umpires.

It doesn't matter to us if it is a NCAA assignment or a 10-U volunteer assignment, we approach the game the same way with the same attitudes.

If you are working hard and volunteering your time, then good for you. The players in your area are lucky to have someone that is willing to do the things you do. Keep up the good work and don't let others get you down.

Point 1: Through previous dealings with Carl Childress, I believe you are wasting your fingers on him. This man may know baseball, but that is where it ends. He has little to no interest in softball with the exception of public degradation. Either he is not intelligent enough to understand of what he speaks when addressing softball or chooses to be and act ingnorant of the facts.

Point 2: To volunteer to do this job is one step away from a loony bin. Any volunteer umpire who takes the time to actually learn the rules and better themselves through clinics, schools and experience have my respect. It is those who step out of the stands, thinks the job is a cake walk and really doesn't care if they get it right or wrong are the problem.

Point 3: I honestly do not believe that any dedicated sports official should be a pure "volunteer". They should receive something, if nothing more than a piece of equipment or uniform, for the task they take on.

Just opinions,

Mike

Was he refering to the proverbial father pulled from the stands turned umpire for the game? If that's what he meant then I have to agree. Fathers tend to be nervous, afraid they'll upset somebody on their team or the other team or that they'll have to make the game winning call and their nervousness shows making everyone else afraid he'll blow it too(except, often enough, the kids). They generally don't give you a very good game compaired to someone who has no vested interest in either team.
If that's not what he was refering to then he is full of s***. Any umpire that takes the time and effort to learn the game and how to call it is an umpire paid or not. All umpires I know do it for love of the game, the money is just an added bonus. A necessary added bonus to do some of the leagues we do, right Ed? Many of us paid umpires do our youth and fundraiser games for free and I'm sure that many of you unpaid umps would take the money if offered. Would many of us do adult ball for free? Probably not,they don't need our charity. Would we do youth games for free if asked? Probably say yes more often than not but it's like any charitable act, don't overdo how often you ask us. Jim

I have not read the articles in question, but I think that Mike made a point that is probably closer to what the author is intending.

I read "volunteer umpire" as the person who steps out of the stands to call the game so the kids can play. There are some leagues out there that choose to cut costs by using that type of umpiring system. I would tend to agree that a paid umpire, even at 50%, would probably be better.

Striker - you and your organization are to be commended for volunteering to umpire for your community and working to better yourselves as umpires. I would not lump you and your group into "volunteer umpires" as I described above.

Mike's second point is also well taken. While money is not my primary motivation for umpiring and I have done several volunteer assignments, the few extra bucks is nice to have.

A couple of observations.

I think umpires could stay out of this arguement if we would refer to "trained" umpires vs "untrained" umpires. I suspect that is what the author meant when he unfortunatly used the words volunteer and paid. (I can't be sure, as I'm a bit too cheap to pay for the online magazine.) Most of us would agree that any umpire needs to be trained and educated, paid or not.

The second point is that I don't think I would question the intellegence of Carl Childress. He is very knowlegable with regard to baseball rules and mechanics. He is a retired educator, and accomplished author. He does not profess to know beans about softball. He has a "crusty" internet personality untill you establish a relationship with him, just as many characters I meet around ball fields do in real life.

Is Carl a baseball snob with regard to the softball game. Yes. Just as some of our posters are softball snobs or maybe ASA snobs. Does that lessen their intelect, value as a person, a cyber-personality or as a poster of information? Heck no. I expect even Mike and I could enjoy doing a game together.

Wha-d-ya-think, Mike?

Roger Greene

Terminology matters
 

I think you are correct, Roger. Semantics are important here. Volunteer does not equal untrained. If he were to have used the term untrained, I would have no issue. However, he has not responded to my attempts to contact him, so I haven't been able to discuss it with him. That makes good sense, and it is a valuable idea. Thank you.

Maybe Mr. Campagna's target is really the leagues that think they can save money by getting volunteers and not paying umpires. I can't imagine disparaging people who are willing to take heat for nothing.

I never questioned his knowledge of baseball. I have had conversations (online) with Carl concerning softball and umpiring, but my opinion should not persuade others in any manner, so I will leave it at that for this board.

re: earning respect
 

I can certainly agree with you about being upset with people who throw mud at the wall and expect if they throw enough mud at the wall, some of it is bound to stick.

To cross that white line or step onto a field as "Blue" takes courage, dedication, loyalty to one's community and thick skin. So if you volunteer your time or get a few coins for it, you should be respected for it.

I've made more money in umpiring when I was young and could bunr the candle at both ends. That's when I could work all day, call 4-5 games 4 nights a week, then call 15-20 games in a weekend.

But I thought I was all that. I was the best - or so I thought. I was always running late, missing a sock, borrowing a cap, etc.

Now I'm older, wiser, sent my child off to college and am returning to the ranks of officiating. I believe in being on time, making sure my clothes are clean, my shoes are polished and I am ready to officiate. I'm being teamed up with the same young and wild fellow I was 15 years ago.

No matter which way you umpire, as a volunteer or as a paid one, repsecting the game, the players, the history; those are important things. That matters. When you come to the ball park as a trained umpire, you are presenting yourself as the best there is.

I don't know if anyone else has said it, but I'd like to THANK YOU for everything positive you do for your community. People like you are in short supply. Keep up the great works. They will be rewarded one day.

MF

Trained & Conscientious
 

I agree with others, paid or not has nothing to do with it. But it isn't just training either. As a fireman in the real world, we see this same argument there as well, and it is just as shallow. And the issue applies to baseball as well as softball. There is probably just more total softball country wide, due to adult leagues.

People have to be reasonably trained and experienced to do well at anything. But being trained, paid or not, doesn't guarantee a 100% effort. And there are some that are in this for the $s, and don't seem to care about the quality of their work. They aren't the ones reading and posting to this forum, or doing extra research on rules, etc. either. We are preaching to the choir, when we really need to get the message to those that are the problem.

As far as paid, or how much paid, any judgement of whether to pay umps, or how much, must first look at the economics surrounding the league and community in question. If the choice is volunteers or no program for kids, churches, etc., I hope some of us will always step forward.

And I wouldn't even blast the untrained parent from the stands who is making the difference between no game for the kids or not. (Or the person who happens to be an umpire who just wasn't assigned to the game.) He/she didn't create the problem. I would blast any organization that allows that to happen very often, or worse, counts on it.

I started umpiring in Little League for no pay. My own conscientiousness and forcing myself to be accurate and neutral (impartial in the first post) was the difference between good umpiring and poor umpiring. It certainly was not the training or pay, neither of which existed, although masks and "balloon" chest protectors were provided. There is a world of difference between the spectator pressed into service and merely unpaid umpires. Confidence and caring have more to do with it than other factors, assuming any judgement at all.