Umpire Training Academy

BuckeyeMike, Sorry to say but TUS does not accept the GI Bill funding as payment. Sorry.

Gentlemen, The Umpire School was proud to be invited to the NASO convention again this year in Albuquerque. Please check out some of the photos of the happenings at the convention with The Umpire School staff

If anyone is interested or has any questions regarding The Umpire School's upcoming 2015 session please let us know. Maybe we can do a live chat if anyone is interested in that. Also, please visit out Facebook and Twitter pages for updates and upcoming events where you can find more info on TUS. Our enrollment has been very strong so please reach out on here if anyone has any questions.

Gentlemen, If you have any questions about our registration for the 2015 session please reach out anytime. Spots are already filling up fast so if you are considering becoming an umpire please check out our website therightcall.net Also, check us out on Facebook and Twitter as often times photos, rules questions, and updates are posted on those social media accounts as well.

Great discussions everyone. If there are any questions please reach out or check out our website therightcall.net

There are no age limits in attending The Umpire School. We accept all students, regardless of age or experience. During our program, all students will be evaluated against the rest of the class. Students must have the physical ability to participate in a training program that requires frequent voice projection, stretching, bending, squatting, jogging, sprinting, and standing for periods of three hours or more and participate in a daily conditioning program of medium-impact aerobics designed to exercise and strengthen muscle groups most utilized by umpires. The road to the Major Leagues is a very challenging one. After attending one of the two qualifying schools –THE UMPIRE SCHOOL or The Wendelstedt Umpire School – only the top percentage of students advance to the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation (PBUC) Evaluation Course. During that time, candidates receive additional education, field work, testing and interviews. At the conclusion of the course, candidates are ranked from number 1 through the end. As positions become available in Minor League Baseball, candidates begin their careers at the Rookie level and hope to work their way up through the ranks, eventually getting to Triple A within 6-8 years. Once in Triple A, Major League Baseball takes over your supervision, and within 1-3 years will determine if you could be a fit into getting your first big league experience (Arizona Fall League, MLB Spring Training, MLB regular season fill-in). The majority of our students do not qualify for the PBUC Evaluation Course, as only the top 15-30 advance. But for those who do not qualify, there are numerous opportunities in amateur and independent baseball. After completing our program, our goal is to get you the opportunity to work the highest levels within your ability. Many of our students work the top levels of high school, college and independent baseball. The biggest challenge is finding the contacts for the right association in your area. But after four weeks of high intensity training, you’ll be able to prove your ability at tryouts for college associations. And we can also assist in finding independent league contacts. Please feel free to contact us anytime to answer more questions. Attending The Umpire School is a major decision and cost. Our goal is to provide you the information you need to assist in making that decision. We can be reached at 877-799-UMPS(8677). Andy Shultz Administrator The Umpire School

Tom: We have no record of you contacting The Umpire School (www.therightcall.net). Are you sure you contacted us? Please send me an email ASAP (justinklemm@milb.com) so we can get you the information you need. Thank you in advance. Justin Klemm

Please email me your name and when you signed up. Our Administrator, Andy Shultz, has assured me that all current registrants are up to date with regard to communications and enrollment forms. Thanks in advance and let me help you get this cleared up. Justin Klemm

Please send me an email ASAP (justinklemm@milb.com) with your name and times and dates you reached out. I want to rectify this immediately. Andy Shultz, our administrator turns messages and emails around in 24-48 hours. Are you certain you contacted us at info@therightcall.net? Or on our toll free line at 877-799-UMPS(8677). We take a lot of pride in returning messages ASAP at ALL times during year. If we dropped the ball, I will personally ensure you get your questions answered. Justin Klemm Executive Director, PBUC

Enrollment is still open. We are however getting close to being filled up on campus. Priority is given to those who register for a Double Occupancy, All Inclusive Meal Plan. We have about 8 Rooms left on campus. (16 spots). After those are gone you will be housed in an off-site hotel and have to commute each morning to the campus. Hope this helps. If you have any questions, please call Andy Shultz in our office. Best of luck! Justin Klemm

https://therightcall.net/naso.aspx In the News THE UMPIRE SCHOOL SUPPORTS NASO SUMMIT FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR August 27,2013 -- Grand Rapids, Mich. For the third year in a row, The Umpire School was a sponsoring organization for the NASO Sports Officiating Summit, the largest gathering of sports officials in the country. The 2013 Summit was held at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in downtown Grand Rapids and was attended by more than 450 officials and officiating leaders at all levels, from amateur to high school to college to professional. Justin Klemm, the executive director for The Umpire School, and Darren Spagnardi, the school’s field leader, led the breakout session on baseball umpiring, doing a presentation on handling situations and game management techniques. “Each year, we ask organizations that are influential in their respective sports to take the lead in presenting the Summit sport breakout sessions — the sessions that provide nuts-and-bolts officiating instruction to our attendees,†Mano said. "We have done it this way for the past five years and this past year, we had eight sessions at the 2013 Summit in Grand Rapids. Having The Umpire School on board for the third consecutive year made the baseball breakout session a highlight of the Summit for officials. We received a lot of positive feedback on that session from those who were in the room.†Klemm said the Summit has provided his leadership team with ideas and knowledge that helps The Umpire School and the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation become even better organizations. “The communication and continuity between the message at the Summit and what we are doing has never been higher,†he said. “It validates our organizational philosophy and ultimately gives The Umpire School and PBUC additional resources to provide MiLB/MLB a higher quality, more complete prospect to utilize.†The theme for the 2013 Summit was “Game Assignments: Right People. Right Place. The Right Way.†“The program has been lauded by many attendees as one of our best,†Mano said. “We were able to explore the topic of game assignments in depth, but we also covered several hot topics in officiating, including the player safety mandate and the media's involvement in officiating. The Summit's continued growth and reach into all levels of officiating is possible only because of the support of The Umpire School and our other support organizations.†The 2013 Summit featured a total of 70 support organizations. “The Summit is the ‘industry event of the year’ for officiating,†Mano said. “To be able to count The Umpire School among the 70 support organizations is a testimony to the what the event has become.†The 2014 Summit will be held in Albuquerque, N.M. starting July 27.

Jax: I am showing the links. When I click on them it takes a moment and then the activate. Help anyone?

Now we have our Premium Retailers on Board! Thank you for your patience. The 2013 PBUC Umpire Manual is now available through the following premium retailers: Here are the links: Apple (iBooks) Barnes & Noble (NOOK) Sony Reader Enjoy and please give us some feedback. Justin Klemm Executive Director, PBUC www.milb.com www.therightcall.net

Any camp, especially one like this, taught by professional instructors will help you at umpire school. You will get small taste of what lies ahead in January. This is a well established and respected camp. Good luck. The Umpire School

Now that is funny! In all seriousness we should have a good staff assembled for that day. From Rich Rieker to Cris Jones, Larry Young, Chuck Meriwether and Ed Rapuano it should be a great day.

Two members of our staff will be instructing at this clinic. Executive Director of PBUC Justin Klemm and Field Evaluator/Instructor Dusty Dellinger. Should be a great time. Hope to see you there. The Umpire School Staff.

Former Minor League Umpire Battles Rare Cancer You can help by clicking on the link below and spreading the word. http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/team-bertschy-/45596 By Alex Abrams Jason Bertschy hadn’t thrown a baseball in awhile. At one time, his job required him to do it. He had made a living standing behind home plate. However, when Bertschy walked toward the pitcher’s mound in Arvest Ballpark on June 26, he hadn’t worked as a Minor League Baseball umpire in years. The Bentonville native looked casual in a baseball cap, cargo shorts and gray T-shirt with the words “Team Bertschy†scrolled across the front. He didn’t feel nervous despite there being so many people in attendance to watch him that it felt like both a high school reunion and family gathering. “I had seen so many first pitches throughout my umpiring career,†Bertschy, 31, said. “I always wondered what that would feel like.†Many of the people invited to throw out the first pitch before a Northwest Arkansas Naturals game are unknown. Their stories remain a mystery to the thousands of spectators sitting in Arvest Ballpark, waiting for the game to begin. This is Bertschy’s story. His voice strained at times as he talked at length last week about his battle with Urachal cancer, which is a rare type of bladder cancer. It makes up less than 1 percent of all bladder cancers, according to the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. “For most people, it goes away,†Bertschy said. “But it decided not to go away for me.†Standing just in front of the pitcher’s mound, Bertschy wound up for his pitch prior to a Naturals’ game against the Midland RockHounds. The ball looked good when it left his right hand, but it fell short and bounced once in the infield before reaching the catcher. The moment soared by in a hurry. “I felt bad for short-hopping the guy,†Bertschy said, laughing. “But I’m sure he’s probably used to it.†The Blue Bracelet “Not too many people know why I wear this,†Naturals first baseman Matt Fields said, showing off a blue bracelet on his left wrist. The Texas League home run leader isn’t a fan of wearing anything on his wrists, including a watch. But he made a promise in June that he’d wear the bracelet that has “Team Bertschy†scrolled across it. Fields met Bertschy a few years ago when they were working in the Class A-Advanced Florida State League. At the time, Fields played for the Charlotte Stone Crabs and Bertschy called his games. The player and umpire struck up a friendly relationship during their daily encounters, and they often joked about how their lives were going. No matter how hot or homesick he got, Fields noticed that Bertschy always seemed excited to be standing on the field in his umpire uniform. “I’m always friendly with the umpires every time I go out there, so usually me and him would talk a lot,†Fields said. “During that season, we actually talked a lot and just joked around.†Fields said he didn’t know Bertschy was from Northwest Arkansas, and they had fallen out of touch until Bertschy approached the first baseman at the Texas League All-Star Game at Arvest Ballpark on June 25. Fields didn’t know Bertschy was battling cancer, but the news struck close to home for the slugger. Fields had watched his mother grow tired and struggle with the effects of chemotherapy while dealing with breast cancer. Fields has worn the blue Team Bertschy bracelet since being given one that day. It’s the first time he has worn a bracelet to show his support for an individual. “For me, it signifies strength and always fighting for what you believe in,†Fields said. “It’s basically like fighting for your life or your career and just being happy. So I told him, I promised him, I would actually wear it for the rest of the season. “It’s extremely meaningful to me, and I know it’s tough for him to have to go through all of that stuff that he’s going through.†Coincidentally, Fields hit a home run the night Bertschy threw out the first pitch. Afterward, Bertschy jokingly sent Fields a text message that read, “See, I told you.†Calling Games Bertschy had hoped to live his life according to a baseball rulebook. He grew up playing at Phillips Park in Bentonville, but he realized at 16 years old that he could make some money from umpiring games. His part-time job quickly evolved into more of an obsession, as he moved up from calling kids out in machine-pitch games. Bertschy attended local umpire clinics, spoke for hours with older officials and got encouragement from members of the Baseball Umpires of Northwest Arkansas. In 2006, six years after graduating from Bentonville, Bertschy decided to pursue his dream of becoming a Major League Baseball umpire. He spent more than a month studying the profession at the Harry Wendelstedt School for Umpires in Ormond Beach, Fla. It’s one of the two professional umpire training schools in the country. “I always felt like I had the best seat in the house whenever I was working the plate,†said Bertschy, who lives in Lee’s Summit, Mo. “I mean, there is literally not a better seat in the house. “You can see the pitches coming in, and you get to see it right off the bat. You get to be right there and hear it at its latest point.†Bertschy graduated from umpiring school and reached the last level of Single-A Minor League Baseball. He said he was “knocking on Double-A’s door†when he decided to quit umpiring to be with his new family. His priorities, like a good change-up pitch, switched up on him. In 2007, while serving as an umpire at extended spring training in Phoenix, Bertschy decided to attend a game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers. He went as a spectator, and at one point during the game, a fight broke out in a section near his seat. He met his eventual wife as he left the stadium. Turns out, Beth Bertschy sat two sections away from him and observed the same fight in the stands. “We sat and talked for a little while,†Bertschy said. “And history was made after that.†They married Oct. 1, 2009. Their son, Beckett, was born Oct. 11, 2010. Bertschy can still remember the date he was diagnosed with cancer: May 17, 2012. In Treatment Bertschy has gone through several different types of treatment over the past year, at times forcing him to sit in a cancer center for five hours in a day. “At that center, basically you’re kind of lined up in there like cows and they have cheap recliners that you’re sitting in,†Bertschy said. “You have to sit in front of everybody and see everybody go through the side effects of the medicine and everything like that. “And you have to experience your own side effects in front of everybody and stuff like that.†However, after a scan came back with mixed results, Bertschy received news that no one battling cancer wants to hear. His doctor told him there was nothing more he could do for the husband and father. “The oncologist I was currently with really didn’t know what to do anymore for me,†Bertschy said. “And that’s what he said in our visit.†The oncologist referred Bertschy to a doctor at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan. There Bertschy began a new round of chemotherapy. While he still must sit for 4-5 hours every two weeks to get treatment, Bertschy said the setup at his new cancer center is more private. He has his own “mini-cubicle,†where he can pull a curtain and watch a movie as he gets chemo. He’s also looking forward to his wife and son being allowed to be by his side as he undergoes treatment. Still Hopeful Despite his condition, Bertschy works for United Parcel Service, loading packages into trucks. He said he’s waiting for the opportunity to become a UPS driver. His wife, meanwhile, works for St. Joseph Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo. Linda Doeppke, who lives next to Bertschy’s parents in Pineville, Mo., arranged with her daughter, Sara, to hold a spaghetti dinner on June 22 to raise money to help pay for his treatments. More than 350 people arrived at the Ponderosa Trails in Pineville for music and an $8 spaghetti dinner. Around 70 pounds of spaghetti were donated, along with enough spaghetti sauce to cover it all. Casinos and local companies donated everything from a 50-inch TV and power washer to a weekend in Branson, Mo., for a raffle and silent auction. The event raised $16,000 for Bertschy’s medical bills. “I thought if we could make a few thousand dollars for him, we’d be happy,†Doeppke said. “It just snowballed from there.†Bertschy said he was expected to get another round of treatment late last week. But he sounded hopeful, especially whenever the conversation turned to baseball. And his first pitch, of course. Said Bertschy: “It was a lot of fun to be back in a minor league stadium, to be back on the field.â€

Guys: This is a great clinic and excellent value. Grab those last four spots and support this clinic that supports this group! Hope all goes well!

At umpire school you are required to use the hammer. You are also required to use the hammer until you are promoted to a full season league. This allows an umpire in his first two years to focus on several fundamentals including plate stance, head height, timing, tracking, torso lean, distance from the catcher and most importantly judgement without worrying how his strike call "looks". Hope this helps. Justin Klemm PBUC

Justin Klemm and Darren Spagnardi will be there for both the Officiate Michigan Day and The NASO Summit. We are presenting Saturday and Monday on behalf of Minor League Baseball, PBUC and The Umpire School. Looking forward to it. Safe travels!

You should bring all umpire equipment (labeled) and a baseball glove along with personal items you will need for your stay. Weather can vary greatly and we will be outdoors in a variety of conditions. Pack accordingly. A sport coat and tie are advised for the banquet. Undergarments and two pair of base pants should be fine. Old towels for cleaning your shoes, laundry detergent, etc. Hope this helps.

Great advice from all. I followed a similar path that you have had up to this point. Played HS, JUCO and College Baseball. Came to the end of my playing career asking myself how could stay with the game and get to the highest level. I had limited umpiring experience...nothing above Babe Ruth, LL, etc. I went to umpire school in 1994. I did not make it. I came home and was fortunate enough (after working some exhibition games) to receive a full schedule in the Cape League. I worked all summer with two former MiLB Umpires and made the decision to go back in January of 95'. I was fortunate to be sent to the evaluation course and assigned to the NYP. 5 short years later I worked my first MLB game and was fortunate enough to work over 300 MLB Regular Season and Spring Training Games. After 9 years, I was released in November of 2003. The next year I was offered a position with PBUC as an area evaluator and then a full time supervisor. This led to my current position as Executive Director of The Umpire School and PBUC. My point in sharing my story to get you to focus on what umpire school is. Umpire School represents one thing...Opportunity. An opportunity to learn more about a craft that you have an interest. An opportunity to push yourself, both mentally and physically beyond your comfort level while learning to handle criticism and self-doubt. An opportunity to become a better all around person by giving your time, energy and support to your fellow classmates and supporting their goals. Within all of these assured opportunities that umpire school presents lies the very small chance you may be selected to attend the PBUC Evaluation Course. IF that occurs you will be given another opportunity. All of this is shared because you ask the question...."Is it reasonable?". For me, and I did not know it at the time, it gave me an opportunity. And without those opportunities, I am not sure what I would be doing today. For those that were not selected, umpire school impacts you in such a way that the vast majority of those who attend can answer your question with a resounding “Yes!†If you do attend, and it does not matter where you choose to go, focus and take advantage of the opportunities related to self-challenge, self-improvement and garnering as much information as you can during your four weeks. If you do this...The other issue of a possible career in MiLB/MLB will take care of itself. Hope this helps and best of luck in whatever direction you head. J. Klemm

First of all, thank you for your Navy service. It is appreciated. I come from a Marine Corp/Coast Guard Family. About 12 members of immediate family serve. We are exploring the process for becoming a GI Bill eligible school. TUS spent the majority of the last two years getting fully licensed by the State of Florida and working on our M-1 to accept foreign students. Schools are not eligible to apply to become part of the GI Bill program until they are licensed for a full two years. So we can move forward with our application to the VA after our 2014 class. We will post more on this as information becomes available.

Enrollment is strong. We are double what we were at this time last year. As I said earlier, enrollment is limited. Our goal is keep enrollment at or under 100. This is purely to maintain the "personal" interaction and ensure our students get the reps necessary to improve. We do not want to get too big along with our students coming away with the experience of a lifetime.

Thanks Warren. Premium Members will receive $200 off the All-Inclusive Package. Number of discounts is limited and will be based upon actual date of enrollment. Please identify yourself as a Premium Member when enrolling. Andy Shultz will confirm with Warren and apply the discount. As always, reach out with any questions. Thank you.