Last HS game of the season....
 

Will it be 90+ degrees Sure!

Do I have the plate? Of course!

Is it 6/7/8th graders? Yup!

Actually, the home team comes from the biggest school in the county - they have TWO middle school teams. I have had the coach before, and she always has her kids schooled real well on fundamentals, and I BELIEVE that the two teams are divided up by age, and I think this one is the older kids.

Around here, pretty most of the May games tend to be better played, making them go quicker. Its been a LONG season though, as Easter fell so early that there was no week off for that, and we went for two solid months :eek: - but as the saying goes...I'll gladly cash the checks :D

Just curious....how is a 6/7/8 grade game considered HS?

My guess is which rules, which assigner and school sponsored (not soup). ;)

I've got the plate today for a HS regional final. For some unknown reason, the powers-that-be moved the start time from 7:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Temps are in the 90s, relatively high humidity, and nary a cloud in the sky.

I haven't done a game this year with temps above 80. Most of them have been in the 30s and 40s. Heck, in my last game, a first-round regional game a week ago, the temps were in the 50s with 30-mph gusts. I had to borrow a partner's thermal top to wear under my jacket to stay warm!

Been trying to keep hyrdated since yesterday. No alcohol last night while watching the Nats vs. Orioles game, and only one cup of Joe this morning. This sux! :p

High school....Middle school...can always use the term scholastic sports! :)

All the same system...

Like I said...just curious...in my neighborhood, HS (FR, JV, V, 9-12 grade) is a completely different animal than Jr Hi or Middle School (6, 7, 8 grade) games.

HS Sports are under the umbrella of the State Association and MS sports are a free-for-all with no statewide governing body. MS officiating is done by any number of officials associations and HS officiating is all done through the State Association.

Up until an hour ago I had scheduled an 8th softball double header. The second game has been cancelled due to bus issues.

So now I have one game, 92 degrees and my partner who is scheduled for the plate may or may not make the game in time to grab the dish and I may end up with it.

Good news is that there's no way the game will be 7 innings. I've had the home team 4 times, great kids, horrible softball players, have lost by an average of 22.

Here in NYS, all competitive public school athletics are administered by the NYSPHSAA - Yes the term 'high school' is part of the name. As is 'public' - even though in many places, some parochial schools are members of the various sections in the state. They charter the groups for each sport, who in turn charters the local groups.

I would be curious for the rationale of separating the two school levels...

I'm in NYS...and it's separated. Varsity is high school ball, JV is a step younger and below, and Modified/middle school/junior high is, well, NOT high school ball.

They even use some different rules modifications.

On edit: For example, they are only allowed 3 walks and 3 advances in a half inning, and after that, you only call strikes and there is no "advancing" to the next base. Also, they don't keep track of team win loss records, there is no playoffs, and for junior high (which the above poster is referring to), you bat your entire lineup, you have 10 players play the field, and if a team bats around in an inning, then you "switch sides".

Manny. Your game got moved to 4pm due one of the teams having a prom later that night. I was at the semifinals and it was in the announcement after the game was over.
Also stay hydrated. We had to switch out an umpire due to dehydration in the 1st semi.

these rules are certainly not nysso approved for any level. no such animal as limiting 3 walks per inning or 3 advances. and bat the entire lineup? no way.......this must be a special adaption for the modified (7th and 8th grade) for you own section. if so, its unique

Wow - our only mods are:

10 players

no U3K

no - sigh - run rule

no extras - games can end in a tie

No official keeping of W-L, but they all do anyways...

And we have been 'advised' that if a coach seems to be taking it too seriously, to 'remind' them.

What section is LI, LIB? I am in Section 9 - Orange/Ulster/Sullivan. Each county has its own umpiring group, and I am in Orange. However, one school in Sullivan is a member of the Orange County IAA. On the other hand, I work volleyball in the fall, and we cover all three counties for that!

I'm in section XI. Your section is scheduled to play our section for the B super regionals. I have the AA Long Island regional championship and then I'll be heading up for the state championship next Saturday. I met two of your guys last year (I think they were from 9). Nice guys.

Jacobs and Ewanciw, right? Ewanciw is our group president, and Jake is a good umping friend.

Since you obviously have been to the NYSSO school, the woman who does plate mechanics up there, Kathy, was our group president for a long time, and is now NYS ASA UIC. Perhaps you also met Bruce Wittman up there - he used to do base mechanics up there also. We really have a great advantage, as these two run our new officials clinic, so all our new people get the real deal for their training. I help out every year, as it is a real nice refresher on both rules and mechanics.

I think that we only have two B teams in the section! The division in the school sizes makes for almost skipping over from A to C, and then very few Ds also.

I umpired with a John Ewanciw last year at a National. Terrific, best partner I had there.