FCU Scam

[Guest fool_me_once]

Since FCU was sold their tryouts have gone from one a year to half a dozen times. The price for trying out has more than doubled, to $300. They don't have more games than they did though. The new owner came from Wendlestedt and brought along the idea of selling a dream. In an email I heard about this year, they said you should attend half a dozen clinics without getting discouraged.

If you have been to any of their clinics, you know that FCU falsely advertises the instructors they have on staff, they just flat out lie. Then they really exaggerate what your tuition buys. You don't get any advamced mechanics, you get a very basic 2-man overview from div. II and some div. I cronies of the owner. And you don't get any evaluation, there's one instructor walking around a bunch of fields until a coach argues. The worst part is that all you're really there for is so the FCU owner can put bodies on the field for some AAU tournament. His other job is AAU umpire coordinator. Last year they didn't pay umpires for games even after they paid $300 to be there, so many people complained that this year they are paying $35/game. Personally, the only way I can earn less than that for a game is to volunteer, and if you figure the clinic tuition in I probably make more volunteering. They are preying on umpires, they take $15/umpire/game plus $300/umpire.

The new owner was unceremoniously fired by MLB. He also kicked the crap out of a call in a televised NCAA game so bad that the NCAA released a video of how not to umpire.

[Guest Guest]

That's from @JaxRolo post about the Florida Advanced Umpire Clinic at DisneyESPNzone.

[blue23ll]

I really don't understand anything you are trying to say here. 

[JaxRolo]

I know the year I went several of those names were there. I learned a lot and had no problems. They paid umpires during the second week.

And a couple weeks ago at the tryout there were 4 of them there evaluating and they gave good feedback.

[johnnyg08]

Instructors include:

Tony Thompson, Coordinator of Umpires

**SEC, ACC, A-Sun, Big South, OVC, Peach Belt, Southern,

Sunbelt, Southern States, and Trans South Conferences.

John Magnusson and Dennis McComb, FCU Collegiate Assigners

Additional Instruction by:

Rob Healey, Josh Miller, Brent Rice, Randy Harvey, Olindo Matia,

Joe Judkowitz, AJ Lostaglio, Matt Hensel, Manny Salazar, and more!

I heard only 3 of 12 listed were in attendance.

 

If that's true, that's weak.  

[JaxRolo]

When I went all those names were there.

[MidAmUmp]

I don't know why I want to jump into this little Florida Sewing Circle bitch-fest but here it goes...

Post #1 says - "In an email I heard about this year..." - so you didn't actually see the e-mail, you just heard about it...so you can't verify that?

Post #2 says - "I heard only 3 of 12 listed were in attendance." - so you weren't there, just just heard about it...so you can't verify that?

 

These guys don't need me rushing to their defense, but as someone who runs a somewhat reputable clinic  ...maybe...It chaps my ass when people just throw out rumors about clinics as gospel.  State the facts you can personally prove and keep the rumors to yourself.

 

Here's what I know...Joe Judkowitz was the best man at my wedding and I was in his wedding.  Josh Miller went to umpire school with me and we're friends.  I met Olindo at Joe's wedding and got to be friends.  Those 3 guys are stand up guys.  I don't know the rest of them and again, none of them need my defending.  I'm simply glad I live in the Midwest where we just join the CBUA which pays our NCAA fees, attend some clinics where you can learn/be seen and then let the chips fall where they may.

[umpstu]

I don't know why I want to jump into this little Florida Sewing Circle bitch-fest but here it goes...

Post #1 says - "In an email I heard about this year..." - so you didn't actually see the e-mail, you just heard about it...so you can't verify that?

Post #2 says - "I heard only 3 of 12 listed were in attendance." - so you weren't there, just just heard about it...so you can't verify that?

 

These guys don't need me rushing to their defense, but as someone who runs a somewhat reputable clinic  ...maybe...It chaps my ass when people just throw out rumors about clinics as gospel.  State the facts you can personally prove and keep the rumors to yourself.

 

Here's what I know...Joe Judkowitz was the best man at my wedding and I was in his wedding.  Josh Miller went to umpire school with me and we're friends.  I met Olindo at Joe's wedding and got to be friends.  Those 3 guys are stand up guys.  I don't know the rest of them and again, none of them need my defending.  I'm simply glad I live in the Midwest where we just join the CBUA which pays our NCAA fees, attend some clinics where you can learn/be seen and then let the chips fall where they may.

 

Good post. My thoughts exactly.

[blue23ll]

@blue23ll is it ok for FCU to charge huge fees for MLB and SEC instruction who is not there? Do you believe you can try out to umpire college ball in Florida by working a 10 year old game on a 55' diamond?   

 

Was this the gist of your original post? If so, this is much easier to read.  As far as FCU and what they charge, they can charge what they want. You can pay it if you want. If you feel that they misrepresented facts, then ask for a refund. 

 

Can working a youth baseball game on a 55' diamond tell me if you can work college ball?  Probably as much as seeing you work an inning in a college scrimmage.  I would look at your ability to use the basic fundamentals and mechanics, which I can see on a 55' diamond for the most part. 

[RingEmUp]

I went to the FCU two-man clinic this past summer and thought it was very good.  I learned a lot just by being around other umpires.  I got good feedback and learned what I need to work on in order to make that next step to college ball.  All the instructors were D-1 umpires that had been listed on the flyer.   

 

As far as evaluating someone for college using the small diamonds, it makes sense to me since youth coaches don't know WTF they are doing most of the time and try to make up the rules as they go.  If you can handle all that craziness then upper level ball should be easy.  During the last day of the AAU 12u tourney a coach punched one of his players, how do you handle that and are you ever really going to see something like that in HS and College? 

 

I also know a couple of guys that got hired out of the two-man clinic and met plenty of others that had been hired out these clinics in the past.

[Rich Ives]

Coach punching player at college level? Ask about Woody Hayes.

[blue23ll]

Wasn't Woodies more like a clothes line? Maybe it was a punch though. 

[cyclonehokiece]

Wasn't Woodies more like a clothes line? Maybe it was a punch though.

It was definitely a punch

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Replacematt]

I saw Hunter Wendelstedt do a game on tv and now we are besties and I was in same state as AJ Lostaglio and waved at him across the street so now we are pen pals.

I don't know the rest of them, but if Wendelstedt and Lostaglio are there then it's good. I haven't ever been to any camps so thanks for this great info....

 

Put your balls out there and don't post anonymously if you want to do this.

[Majordave]

I'm exercising my authority and discretion as a mod to just delete anything Mr. Guest_Guest posted or posts in the future. He has shown his ugly side and his gutless side. We don't need to see anymore. Move along gents.