Jump to content

Inhouse umpire group vs outside contract for umpires


Umpire-Empire locks topics which have not been active in the last year. The thread you are viewing hasn't been active in 3518 days so you will not be able to post. We do recommend you starting a new topic to find out what's new in the world of umpiring.

Recommended Posts

Small league here in Atlanta has struggled for the past 3 year with lots of things, transitioning from LL to USSSA, revolving door presidents, mismanagement of funds etc.

 

This is a small park and was a longtime LL devotee and used the normal “bluejean dad†umpires with the expected results.

 

2 years ago 2 sharp umpires tried to put together a trained, well run internal group, after transitioning to USSSA only to be run off by the soccer mom president as she was always upset that umpires wanted to get paid. She stayed- 2 sharp guys left.   

 

 2 presidents and boards later this league waited until 2 weeks before season started to seek out a local “umpire mill†to supply officials. As expected they got the leftover umpires, when some would show up. This park only has 2 -4 games 3 nights per week with 4-5 games on Saturday BUT is one of the fastest growing communities in Atlanta AND will get a great NEW park in 2 years!

 

All that aside what is your opinion on building an internal group vs contracting an outside group?

 

 

My recommendation was for this small park to use an outside group for the following reasons:

Comments please.

 

Challenges for this Park and In house Issues to deal with in building an internal umpire group with limited league resources

 

  • Not enough games per week to attract experienced umpires
  • Recruiting
  • Gear assistance for new umpires
  • Training
  • Scheduling
  • Disbursement of fees
  • 1099s
  • Retention
  • Pool size
  • Attrition (expected to be 50%)
  • Mentoring
  • NO Tournaments
  • Constant recruiting
  • Constant training
  • Development
  • Scheduling
  • Financial management
  • 1099s
  • Conflict management dilutes pool
  • Getting too familiar with coaches because of small # of games

 

 

What experienced umpires want

  • Refresher training
  • Trained coaches
  • Minimal park rules
  • Tournaments
  • Plenty of games
  • Reasonable calling fees
  • Minimal park refreshments
  • Place to change
  • Backed up after conflict

 

What New umpires need

  • Uniforms and gear
  • Training
  • Mentoring
  • Tournaments
  • Enough games to buy initial uniforms and gear
  • Encouragement after a BAD game
  • Reasonable calling fees
  • Minimal park refreshments
  • Place to change
  • Protection from adults

 

 Recommended reimbursement and additional benefits

  • $6.00 per 15 minute of scheduled game time (net)
  • Paid every 2 weeks
  • One hot food item & drink per game called
  • Additional fees if calling by themselves
  • Single game per day bump up fee
  • Tournament bump up fees
  • Reimbursement of registration fees
  • Assistance on insurance

 

Comments please.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMHO something that is going to need to change also is the mentality of the league. They have to understand that if they want their league to make it at the next level they need to go from "LL Baseball" to a more serious level of baseball. Plus the needs to be more accountability when daddy coach has a stroke with an umpire. I've always found it odd that when they have a coaches clinic they never go over how to act on a field.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMHO something that is going to need to change also is the mentality of the league. They have to understand that if they want their league to make it at the next level they need to go from "LL Baseball" to a more serious level of baseball. Plus the needs to be more accountability when daddy coach has a stroke with an umpire. I've always found it odd that when they have a coaches clinic they never go over how to act on a field.

Good wisdom from UMP45. Thanks.

Here is what we teach in our coaches clinic: Comments please.

 

1.Ask and be granted time calmly.
2.If you think the other umpire MAY have had a better look ask the UMPIRE that made the call to check with his partner (be prepared for a no)
3.Protest if you feel the umpire has made a mistake on a RULES decision

 

Don'ts

1.Go to the umpire that DID NOT make the call.
2.Ask the one umpire to overturn the other umpires call.
3.Appeal an umpires JUDGEMENT call.
4.Stay and argue after the umpire says “its over†or “call standsâ€.M
5.Boil out of the dugout like a madman.N
6.Bring a rulebook on the field. N
7.Say: “Show me that in the book†N
8.Say:†YOU can’t do that†N
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recommend contacting the local HS group. Get some qualified JV and Middle School guys that just need reps/experience. If you work WITH the assignor, you're likely to get positive results. They will already have uniforms/gear and a good enough understanding of the rules. Who knows, you may find a HSV ump or two taking games with the lower level guys for training/eval purposes.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just took over for the local Pony League. They have an in house core of 28 umpires or so. I will be weeding out the infectious parts and go from there. I am going to try my best to limit the umpire work to 2-3 games a day. 2-3 I think your abilities diminish rapidly after 3 games. I am in favor of doing it in house myself. I think you lose the pride and personality if you go with a big organization. If it is in house, you get to see the same umpires and it gives the sense of a family.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMHO something that is going to need to change also is the mentality of the league. They have to understand that if they want their league to make it at the next level they need to go from "LL Baseball" to a more serious level of baseball. Plus the needs to be more accountability when daddy coach has a stroke with an umpire. I've always found it odd that when they have a coaches clinic they never go over how to act on a field.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

IMHO something that is going to need to change also is the mentality of the league. They have to understand that if they want their league to make it at the next level they need to go from "LL Baseball" to a more serious level of baseball. Plus the needs to be more accountability when daddy coach has a stroke with an umpire. I've always found it odd that when they have a coaches clinic they never go over how to act on a field.

 

Great piece on how  to work with umpires

How to work with umpires.docx

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...