Retention Ideas that work for you

[jkumpire]

Hi men,

 

I am sure most of you will be bored by such mundane things as this post, but for those of you in HS association hierarchies I want to ask: 

 

"What are some successful things you use to retain young umpires in your association?"

 

I have a training class for new umpires every year, along with the local SB guys. We train guys, I check on them during the season, keep my door open for questions, and do everything i can to help them. Next year, most of them don't renew their HS card, and by three or four years in the game only a few survive.

 

We are not a big association by any means. We seem to have a good number of SB umpires, especially since if your not willing to work it's an easy game to call (IMO) on an average or below average level. But the BB umpires are dwindling in number and if I wanted I and two or three other guys in the group could work 50 games in the HS season. We need young men to do the job the kids need, and who care about the game.

 

Thanks for your assistance.

 

 

 

 

[bam]

"What are some successful things you use to retain young umpires in your association?"

Good question. Ours can't keep good young umpires because the older guys won't give up varsity games. It literally takes 5 years to get varsity games. Consequently the new guys give up and go elsewhere.

Our board meetings are starting to resemble the afternoon activities hour at the assisted living facility.

[tldavis19]

 

Our board meetings are starting to resemble the afternoon activities hour at the assisted living facility.

 

 

B-10.....BINGO!!!!!

 

In an effort to actually add this thread, as a young guy what made me stay in was the older guys looking like they were having a good time, being receptive, and giving me multiple opportunities for on field training (first and second year guys must attend all scheduled scrimmages). The combination of feeling confident I knew what to do coupled with knowing that I could have a good time doing it are what made me stick around. Make sure your older guys are being receptive to the younger ones. Don't let the older showboat and put down the younger guys. Nothing will deflate their hunger for umpiring faster.

[JaxRolo]

I have been put in-charge of recruiting for our HS Association for the 2014 Season.

 

We have about 100 Umpires and need about 20 more. So I am also willing to hear some ideas on recruiting and retaining Umpires.

[Mad Mike]

We are reaching out to younger Babe Ruth umpiring groups, and holding clinics for them to give them some added skills and confidence builder for the future. I am obtaining their names and email addresses and will be sending them information over the winter months to hopefully keep their interest---and then recruit them to attend our Association meetings next Spring. 

 

We are also purchasing some visual training aids that can be used on a computer and projected to the entire group. We hope through use of technology, which many of these youngsters identify with, that we can keep their interest high.

[Pete Peterson Sr]

We work our new guys with as many competent veterans as possible. No need throwing them to the wolves.We train them on handling situations, dealing with coaches, and game management. We encourage our new guys to go watch veterans work games, make notes, and ask questions. The biggest reason guys bail after a season or two, IMHO, is the frustration of not knowing the wheres, hows, and whys of umpiring. We keep an open line of communication between our BOD and all of our umpires.

 Another of the big reasons guys don't return is the money they can make in travel ball. And if they are doing this for the money, there is nothing we can do about that.

[BRUMP]

I have been put in-charge of recruiting for our HS Association for the 2014 Season.

We have about 100 Umpires and need about 20 more. So I am also willing to hear some ideas on recruiting and retaining Umpires.

Recruit at local LLs and babe Ruth parks. If you put up signs w your cell phone number I'm sure you'll get a few calls. Also if you have the $ put an ad in the paper

[Mike Prince]

But the question is - how to retain, that way you don't have to put a focus on recruitment although if you are trying to re-build an association it starts with getting good people in there.

 

From my perspective the way to retain good young umpires (and old guys too!) is:

 

• Provide in house training for rules and mechanics (mostly preseason but if possible during the season) - being on the field unprepared is a pretty helpless feeling for a new umpire
• Try to assign each newer (1st-3rd year) umpire a mentor in the association who he works with when possible and is his go-to guy with questions, situations, etc.
• Have an accessible rules interpreter
• Give newer guys the opportunity to work Varsity games (usually on the bases) - if you get put on lower-level JV and MS games all the time this can get discouraging
• When assigning MS/JV games assign newer guys the plate - where possible put the more experienced guy on the bases
• Assign one or more evaluators who can get out and watch these guys work and give them constructive feedback
• Develop a rating program so when umpires are not getting good games they have some feedback why
• Provide the tools for education/improvement but stress that it is on each individual umpire to use the tools so that they can improve.

I think a lot of newer guys get discouraged because they always feel like the "new guy" and they get stuck on the lowest level games.  When I did HS ball there were a few veteran guys who really helped me out, this gave me a sense of belonging and they gave me feedback and training that was great.  

[BigUmpire]

Is anyone doing any "why did you leave" interviews?

[Guest]

You have to give them good games.

 

It's that simple. I've seen so many young guys that came up right behind me get stuck doing terrible baseball, get tired of the glass ceiling, and hang it up. Give them an honest skill assessment. If they have the natural talent to call a better game than a veteran, move them up the depth chart. And, when there are growing pains, be patient with them. When you give them something plum, run them out there with a vet who can watch their back, provide good feedback, etc. The flip side of this requires you to 'strongly encourage' aging umpires to begin the transition from umpire to supervisor.

 

Give them something to work towards. Come playoff season, expand the crews to 3 or 4 men and work them in where you can. Would working a semi final at 3B mean more to a rookie or 15 year vet?

 

The other thing is you can't force training and meetings down their throats. There's a delicate balance between educating them properly and taking up too much of their time.

 

Umpiring will always have a high turnover rate. It seems like an easy job for good money but quickly becomes harder than it seems. No matter what you do, you will always lose a portion of "new" umpires come year 2.

[IABlue]

I will echo the idea that those that have talent need to feel upwardly mobile in order to stick around.  This is exactly why I quit doing basketball a few years back.  It was virtually impossible to move up the food chain in my area and I got sick and tired of working crappy 1A girls games every night.  I was able to advance much farther much faster in baseball/softball, and here I am still doing it 16 years later.  There has got to be a balance in there somewhere.

[pnewton]

Retaining isn't an issue where I live/work but I think it's because my association covers everything.  The association assignor covers all the sub-varsity HS for 6 conferences in our corner of the state, Babe Ruth ball for several leagues as well as assigning for AAU season and tournaments.  Guys come on the board, get to meet one guy that can give them 100 total games from April until August and can make it seem like they are moving up from Babe Ruth games to 9th grade to JVs at a reasonable rate.  Then he gives recommendations to the guys that assign the Varsity level and Legion ball in the summer.

 

This isn't a perfect system because when he gives it up we are going to have mass panic about who to get games from but it seems to work.

[IABlue]

 

This isn't a perfect system because when he gives it up we are going to have mass panic about who to get games from but it seems to work.

Why wouldn't the next guy just take over in turn?

[pnewton]

 

 

This isn't a perfect system because when he gives it up we are going to have mass panic about who to get games from but it seems to work.

Why wouldn't the next guy just take over in turn?

 

 

The rumbling is that no one is willing to take on all of that assigning when he steps down.

[MT_Blue]

at least here we run into the problem of politics (im sure everyone else has something similar) in the sense that you can only move so far forward in the pool before you're capped. I am currently working with guys who have been members of the HS association for going on 20 yrs and never seen post season contests due to 'steve (tournament UIC) doesnt like Jim so he will never see a state tourney.' with steve getting the UIC gig for the SAME touranment every year. Long story short our system of selection is seriously flawed, it is supposed to be by vote but that rarely happens.

[mstaylor]

We are suffering a little of the retention problem, but with a twist. Some of the guys experienced and young are working with neighboring groups. We aren't competing for games, just umpires. I want to do more class training this winter. We do start guys new guys on JV and MS to test them. If they are decent they move to some low level varsity. The problem is putting a guy on varsity too early can ruin his confidence and maybe cause him to put himself in a bad light with varsity managers. We always put an experienced guy with new guys on any level. Also, sticking new guys on low level games in one man will run them off fast. The other problem is young guys want to be at the top of heap too fast. Our top guys welcome young guys, do everything they can to bring them along but they also have to understand that they need certain skills to work varsity. 

[CricketChapman]

Personal experience:

I started umpiring in machine pitch Cal Ripken when I was 15.  Ages 16-17, I exclusively did 9-10 Minors (the worst kid pitch league).  At age 18, my assignor gave me the chance to do some travel ball and Majors games.  By age 20, I was umpiring the 11U CR State Tournament Championship, and age 21, I was working MS games.  This year (I am only 24), I worked the District semifinal and championship; I have never once argued with my assignor, and I always respect his choices.  I have stuck by him because he gave me a chance when I was only 18 to work numerous competitive games, and has promoted me based on my performance, not my age.

You have to give young guys (who show discipline, mechanics, hustle, and judgment) a shot.  Let politics fly out the window.  If a young umpire has shown his enthusiasm for the profession, see what he can do.  One of my close friends was given this opportunity locally, decided to try Wendelstadt's School, and is now umpiring in MiLB at the ripe age of 22.

[Dannytheman]

My situation is being one of the 2 only volunteer umpire groups, by far the largest, in the entire county.

The rest of the LL groups here use a paid group, Tri County Umpires. A respected and excellent group of men and young men.

I have taught and broken in many umpires who get enough experience to quit and join the paying group.

Last year it was 5, this year it was 7. Hard to blame them. Free versus 50 to 60 dollars?

 

I keep recruiting, always on the lookout. Any parent who complains about umps, get invited to join. If I hear complaints from a spectator, I let them know we have opening, since their eyesight is better than my umps. Go to local High Schools for Volunteer credit for service.(Looks good on College Resume) Post messages at Community College bulletin board. Use the local paper and meet once a month.

[CentralOhioUmp30]

I can't speak to the retention rate as a whole here because I am not tremendously involved with my association outside of the required meeting and working the games.  I can say from my own personal experience that my only reason for staying a member of my association this long is because I have aspirations to do this professionally.

 

I started out doing 9U/10U rec games as a 15 year old kid who didn't want to work at a grocery store or fast food restaurant making minimum wage.  I progressed to working all ages of travel ball and then last year I realized that doing MS and freshman games may help me progress as an umpire because of the wacky things that can happen.  

 

However, if, and this is a big if, I didn't have professional aspirations I would have never gotten involved with high school baseball for several reasons: 1) Pay for freshman and MS ball is $38; travel ball is $45-60 2) Freshman and MS games can sometimes take over 2:30 for varying reasons; travel ball is rarely over two hours and the games start later (6:00 or 7:00 as opposed to 5:00) 3) The quality of play at the 12/13/14U travel levels is significantly better than freshman, MS and some JV. 4)  You don't need to deal with any politics.  For high school you are only as good as your assigner thinks you are and you only work the games your assigner gives you.  For travel ball you can develop working relationships with coaches that allow you to work their games for as long as they're around and you go search for games on your own.

 

Money, quality of play and the ability to avoid politics is what has kept some of the people I know away from HS ball or has made them leave early.

[Aging_Arbiter]

I can tell you that I may be one of the "retention issues" next year.  I've umpired for 19 years, done everything from a local 7-8 tournament, to AAABA, to being selected for Bangor, ME this year.  This was my 3rd year with a HS association.  The first year, being the new kid on the block, no qualms or questions.  My 2nd year, I started asking questions about Varsity.  This year, I provided limited availability, only due to having no vacation time available to get to the game site.  I used it all for a total knee replacement last September.  So I could understand why I only got JV assignments again this year.  However, I have pointed out to several key members of our organization that they will continue to lose guys because most of the OLD FOLKS either a) don't want to do JV, or b) feel it is beneath them to work JV.

 

If nobody wants to share next year and allow others to have a chance to move up, Here is ONE retention issue.

[maineump]

There is talk about mentors or evaluations by fellow members - does anyone pay the mentors or evaluators? Do you have the 'luxury' of having the numbers to take an experienced guy off from the field to 'watch the new guy'? We don't - we have days (many) when all hands are needed to cover the games.

We have the same problems with the vets holding on to the varsity games, but our assigner has no problem sending an old guy to do a JV or MS training game. Only a few of our guys turn those assignments back  , saying they only do varsity. We are working in the E-Board to try to work that out - but we have to be careful as we need to keep the numbers up. I have been doing HS for 18 years, but a game is a game to me (I do get 'Big varsity games', but work the occasinal MS or JV games as well) - if I am umpiring for just the money  , then I am not in the right place.

Summer ball is worse, as there are 3 different organizations that use our group members and it gets thinner for members to cover all of the games. They are not assigned by the HS group, but the umpires all come from that group of guys.

How do you get old guys to help the young ones out?  

[mstaylor]

All of our guys work JV and MS. I am one of the most senior members of my group as well as the rules interpreter but I certainly work my share of lower games.

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