Conflicts?

[law_reb]

At what point do you decide you are unable to call a games for a particular team because of a relationship with a school, coach, player, etc. that causes a potential conflict of interest?  I live in a suburban county adjacent to pretty large city.  Although we are a pretty big county, 150,000ish, the baseball community is pretty tight.  It seems as though every high school team I umpire I have some sort of relationship with multiple people involved.  None of these relationships cause me to believe I would call a game unfairly.  My 10 year old son asked me if he could go with me to my game today to watch a couple of his friends big brothers play.  He goes with me to a good many of my games.  So, it got me to thinking, when am I too close to the situation?  Should I call games of the school at which my wife is a teacher/volleybal coach?  The school in the town I live and my kids attend?  Multiple players have parents in my Sunday School class at church?  My son is friends and football teammates with the baseball coach's son?  My wife coached the baseball coach's wife in high school?  My best friend has a son on the team?  The principal is one of my good friends?  Every one of the nine schools in my county has some sort of relationship similar to this.  Where do you draw the line?  Where does your assigner draw the line?  I'm open with my assigner about any possible conflicts.  Of course, he does sit in the row behind me at church on Sunday mornings and knows most of them before I tell him.  I get assigned games for all nine of our county high schools.  There's never been any problem.  Just curious to know how things work other places around the country.         

[scrounge]

The only ones I worry about at all are varsity games at the high school my kids go to. I do their JV and middle school games all the time, with full knowledge of my assignor. They're not on the team - I would not recommend doing a school game that they were playing in. I wouldn't do a playoff game with that school or my alma mater - but that's a heightened awareness situation that's much rarer. But if you are an active member of your community, you're going to have some ties to those in the community. I would only worry about varsity events involving a team with direct and active current links with a member of your immediate family.  And even that might be perfectly fine for non-league games or non-playoff scenarios.

[Cav]

My "decision point" is when the assignor has delineated what the specific conflicts of interest may be.  I believe the "bar of integrity" once bent can never be truly straight again.  On the other hand, I couldn't care less which team wins and I am not good enough to purposely influence the game's outcome for one team over another.  So, it all boils down to perceptions and those I leave to the assignors. 

 

Perceptions are in the eyes of the beholder (you can use that line, if you wish).  Therefore, I leave it to others to define what is OK and what is not.  If an assignor wants umpires to bow out of assignments for a school at which they are the AD, I would certainly abide.  Likewise, if an assignor thinks all right-handed umpires should not accept assignments for a certain school, then so be it.  Of course, if the latter were the case, I would likely be looking to get into another league.  

[maven]

This issue will vary widely by region and by level. Some areas and some sports are so starved for officials that they're prepared to ignore most potential conflicts of interest. Subvarsity, I'd say ignore it.

 

Best answer has probably been given: let your assigner know about the potential conflict, and if he still sends you to that school, then responsibility is his.

[bam]

I think you think too much.

You'll KNOW when you should recuse yourself

[ElkOil]

Our association defines it pretty tightly, so there's no real gray areas.  So we can make easy decisions based on our personal situations, but I think when there's such limited opportunities to avoid potential conflicts, take Maven's advice and let your assigner know.  But our area is pretty large, so if you can't call at one school, no big whoop -- there are still plenty of options.

[RichMSN]

I am the commissioner for a high school conference, and I actually will work a conference game or three in boys basketball - both schools have the same relationship to me.

It is a small school conference and I tend to work only big schools in baseball, so I don't work them in baseball.

But when I submitted playoff availability, I probably had the longest exclusion list in the state. Same with the other sports. Conference teams play teams out of conference in the postseason and it would be truly foolish to even give the state the opportunity to put me on one of those games.

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[Mudisfun]

I recused myself from the school my nephew attends which happens to be where I graduated from. Once he is gone I will reopen that school... I can care less if the school I attended a thousand years ago wins or loses a game.

I find it funny when a buddy of mine asks me if I went to or saw our old schools football game. The last time I went to my high schools football games I was a student there 20+ years ago.

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[BillKen]

The only situation that I see as troublesome is working at the school where your wife teaches.  If you need her paycheck, why would you risk someone getting upset about a call you made (right or wrong) that possibly cost them a game?  In my humble opinion, you are one cheap accusation away from someone seeking revenge by going after her job to get back at you.

 

My Pappy always said, "You don't get your lovin where you make your livin."  To me, this is similar!  Your wife's income and calling is way more important than a game check. 

 

If you are good, you don't need that school to complete your schedule.  If there are 8 other schools in your neighborhood, that should be plenty.

 

Just my 

[Stan W.]

I closed off my local district......it's the district that my son and daughter went to and I graduated from........ other than that......I'm open

[RingEmUp]

I'm probably several years away from having conflicts since my kids are 4 and 2.  I didn't grow up in San Diego and therefore don't know much about the history of the programs.  I've learned a little about a couple of the programs only because someone has told me about them. 

[conbo61]

I don't "block" any schools. My only concern is my kids catching grief over an unpopular call I may have made.

Last summer I was working a game for my "hometown" team. Both teams were having good seasons and the game had playoff implications. My "hometown" team ended up getting their butt kicked and I ejected their HC.

I had coached with this fellow before and he is a fellow umpire.

Made things a tad uncomfortable for a while.

[Out&UglyToo]

Rule #1 - DO NOT PUT YOURSELF IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE TO EJECT YOUR WIFE.

 

exception - feel free to eject your Ex-wife.

 

Rule #2 - Do not umpire in CUBA.

 

exception - If you already are an umpire in Cuba, be warned that Fidel was a pitcher, and he does not like to be ejected.

 

Rule #3 - If you actually think it will have an effect on your game, talk to your assignor and / or recuse yourself.