Retaining Umpires

[zoops]

I schedule for an association that serves 7-8 teams from the 13 year old to the Legion level.  I will preface this post with that we are the only umpire association around, so there are no "rival" associations or assignors.  We have a very hard time recruiting and retaining umpires.  We are at the point where it is very difficult to get 2 umpires on some games, especially day games, as most of our umpires have day jobs, and we only have about 10 umpires that work regularly.  More or less, if you get ahold of me and say you are interested in umpiring my response is probably going to be "how soon can you work?"  Some days we have 3 or 4 doubleheaders to cover, so that makes it awful tight.  

I have umpired for about 15 years, about half in this area.  I don't feel as though the teams we work for are difficult to umpire, but we have had umpires quit in recent years due to coaches being hard on them.  Undoubtedly they are inexperienced umpires that aren't great umpires and don't handle confrontation well but otherwise enjoy umpiring and with the shortage we have there aren't many other options.  They are guys that enjoy being around the game but probably don't seek out much in the way of improving as an umpire, they just want to umpire a game and go home at night - I can't really fault them for that considering the level of ball.  The problems usually come from the 13-16 year old teams that have coaches that have been around a while and can be stubborn with umpires and generally don't discourage their players from being mouthy (again, inexperienced umpires don't always shut it down like they should).  I don't want to make this sound like umpires are quitting all the time, but when we are as short as we are when you lose one or two it is a pretty big hit.  

We don't charge much for dues and I don't make much as the assignor.  We do offer a couple local clinics and try to pair up experienced umpires with inexperienced when we can.  For recruitment we've had some of our more experienced umpires speak to the local high school and college teams to plant the seed of trying umpiring, with some success.  We've also gone on radio sports talk shows, placed newspaper ads, and have a facebook page - those have been mostly fruitless.  We also have gear that we will loan to umpires looking to get started.  

The point of posting is to look for ideas to help the situation.  Training and feedback for newer umpires are on my mind - I wonder what other areas do for this?  As a small association this has been difficult as most of our more experienced umpires are working games at least 2-3 nights a week and coordinating for them to go evaluate other umpires on the other nights proves difficult (and for no pay...).  Scheduling our more experienced umpires to work with less experienced umpires has been difficult because we have so few umpires to work the varsity-level games that we feel we can't take them off of those games to go to a younger level game and move an inexperienced guy to a varsity game so often two inexperienced guys end up working together.  Can you see any value in speaking with coaches and asking them to be more receptive to working with umpires and not just yelling at them from day 1?  I have to believe they realize that they are on the brink of having no umpires for some of their games and I do think coaches can play a role in developing umpires, especially at younger levels.  Any ideas are welcome.  

[Kevin_K]

A conversation is definitely worth the effort.

If the teams you service don't know that their games are in jeopardy of becoming practices because there are no umpires to officiate then they don't know it. Whether its abuse, game fees, availability, travel limitations, or other issues, it is imperative for your clients to know that you (and they) are having and will continue to have problems getting umpires to officiate the games.

Some of the issues are beyond the control of you or the teams, but others are not. Those that can be addressed to attract and retain umpires should be explored together.

My .02. YMMV.

[MObetterBlue]

Do you offer incentives for umpires bringing in other perspective umpires?  For my association, you get a break on your dues if you bring in someone.

I would also hit the high schools hard.  My son started when he was 14.  Over the past few years, he's brought 8-10 of his friends into the association.  He's 18 now.

[LRZ]

You have a two-part issue, seems to me: recruiting umpires and retaining them. What jumps out at me from your post is this: you lose umpires because of problem coaches and teams. Assign your Bruce Froemmings and Joe Wests, umpires willing to EJ, to the games with the hardnosed coaches and mouthy kids until they get the message. Keep your less-experienced umpires away from those games, so they don't get discouraged.

Is there a consequence when a coach gets EJ'ed? If not, consider pulling umpires from that coach's next games.

 

[Mudisfun]

Does your local LL or other younger youth ball have an umpire program? You may be able to expand from those groups especially as those kids age up you may find a few umpires who enjoy the avocation and want to keep working but also make a few bucks... I know about 1/2 of our LL district guys work lots of other paid games and most were introduced to the assignor(s) through the district meetings.

[JSam21]

On ‎7‎/‎25‎/‎2016 at 6:35 PM, Mudisfun said:

Does your local LL or other younger youth ball have an umpire program? You may be able to expand from those groups especially as those kids age up you may find a few umpires who enjoy the avocation and want to keep working but also make a few bucks... I know about 1/2 of our LL district guys work lots of other paid games and most were introduced to the assignor(s) through the district meetings.

This right here... before the summer season starts go to the local youth leagues and do some scouting and then leave a card with their UIC. I actually got recruited to umpire in 1998 while I was catching in my high school varsity game. The game was on a Wednesday and I was working a tournament that Saturday.

[JSam21]

The best way to retain the umpires might be to just get MORE of them. Lack of officials is becoming a wide spread issue. If you can get more, you might be able to not have to work the guys so hard and then be able to keep more of them.

 

Also if you know that the majority of your guys can't work day games during the week, you might need to advise your clients that they just can't schedule games before a certain time during the week.

[BCBrad]

As a new UIC this year, one of the things I have done with our younger and less experienced umpires is have practices (yes why can't we practice too). I started with winterball indoors and had one about once a month during the season. It was great because in addition to working on positioning and mechanics, the practices were an opportunity to work on rules such as fair/foul, infield fly and balks. My attitude is even if I get two or three younger umpires out, we are supporting their development. That commitment goes a long way to retaining and developing younger umpires.

[conbo61]

On 7/15/2016 at 2:22 PM, LRZ said:

You have a two-part issue, seems to me: recruiting umpires and retaining them. What jumps out at me from your post is this: you lose umpires because of problem coaches and teams. Assign your Bruce Froemmings and Joe Wests, umpires willing to EJ, to the games with the hardnosed coaches and mouthy kids until they get the message. Keep your less-experienced umpires away from those games, so they don't get discouraged.

Is there a consequence when a coach gets EJ'ed? If not, consider pulling umpires from that coach's next games.

 

I like this approach, however, I would put you "inexperienced" umpire on the bases with your Joe West on the plate in a "mouthy" game so they can experience how a veteran handles these situations.  It would also benefit the junior to know that if he were to have a difference of opinion with a coach, his partner unequivocally has his back and knows when to step in to keep a situation from getting out of hand.

If you partner two juniors or a junior with a "weak" veteran, particularly with difficult teams, I can see how it would become discouraging.

[LRZ]

2 hours ago, conbo61 said:

I like this approach, however, I would put you "inexperienced" umpire on the bases with your Joe West on the plate in a "mouthy" game so they can experience how a veteran handles these situations.  It would also benefit the junior to know that if he were to have a difference of opinion with a coach, his partner unequivocally has his back and knows when to step in to keep a situation from getting out of hand.

If you partner two juniors or a junior with a "weak" veteran, particularly with difficult teams, I can see how it would become discouraging.

This sounds good to me, an even better idea: I accept the amendment.

[MadMax]

Considering all else our forum colleagues have written so far, I would say there isn't necessarily a need for more recruits, there's a need to keep and progress the umpires you've got. At some point, you'll have tapped the well out. It's like a fitness club in a community with a limited population. If you make all these efforts to attract more new members, but don't have the equipment / courses / trainers / etc. to keep, motivate, and progress your existing members, you'll have all these members, but very few participants in the fitness center. As an active person, I'd rather participate in a small facility with proven results and focused attention to my goals than a huge facility with thousands of members who just do the token treadmill session on the weekend prior to a football game (so they can look athletic while in the stands) or family reunion or swimsuit season.

So, there are some things you can institute to help encourage and progress novice umpires. First, we know that money is important, but don't make it all about the money. One of the most discouraging things facing a new official is the whole topic of dues and fees. Clinics, which provide training and instruction, have costs (otherwise they are minimally effective). On top of that, you have costs for gear and uniforms. It adds up and gets daunting. Consider building into it an Investment Plan: Let's say that you pay $50 per game. You charge $2 association/assignment fee per game. Once an umpire has worked 10/20/30/X games for you, discount the game fee to $1. Also, if an umpire registers for and attends a clinic, then you waive the game fee for the next 10 games. Or, if you can arrange it with a clinic or camp that your umpires get a dicount, that might appeal to the umpires instead.

Gear-wise, do not get suckered into making an arrangement with a local supplier unless said supplier can reliably offer a multitude of options. One of the most frustrating things to see is a new umpire trot out a DavisShield because that's all that the local supplier had. But, you have to get them beyond using their ol' catcher's CP and/or shins. So, you may find yourself becoming a gear scavenger and allowing these new guys to use it until they get their own. Perhaps hold a "Yard Sale" Day for your entire association, enabling veterans to sell spare / outsized / used gear to greenhorns (I've sold more masks than I keep on hand in my inventory, and have a set of shins I wouldn't mind selling). Do NOT let an old codger (or two) start peddling navy shirts to these new guys, saying "This is the only shirt'ya' need."

In all your training and instruction of these new guys, be collective about it – "This is the way _we_ do this". Reinforce this with your veterans. Strike and strikeout calls are personal preference, but other things such as hand signals, rotations and coverage, etc. make them standard across the association. Set expectations on timeliness and responsibilities, and hold your veterans accountable to it too. Something as minor as having a template for plate meetings goes a long way, too. Some veterans get way too elaborate and long-winded, and suddenly, his greenhorn partner gets the impression that his next game as PU, he too has to have this long complex plate meeting. He fumbles and bumbles through it, and the coaches don't see him as a potentially strong umpire. So too, a veteran might have a lazy way of calling or rotating, and may influence upon the greenhorn that "I do this this way, you should too". Be proactive about these umpire methods being collective. This will help towards ejection and citation reinforcement. If a coach is shown or knows that each and every umpire in the association would dump him for outburst A or shenanigan B, then they'll begin to stop overwhelming or badgering your new guys.

Age level has remarkably different correlation to the amount of grief your umpires will potentially face. Often, the high-school age ball coaches are paid and treat umpires more civilly if those umpires show hustle, effort, and focus. The younger age coaches – 9, 10, 11 – often know little more than their players, and have gotten used to rookie umpires butchering their games. If they make a spectacle of themselves, they get away with it or know nothing of consequences.

New umpires look best in black; it goes with everything.

[Mister B]

1 hour ago, MadMax said:

New umpires look best in black; it goes with everything.

Crap, I just got all navy shirts.

Think about branding your own. Work out a deal where you get the Assoc. name embroidered on the pocket or back. (aka Honig's) Include those with the first dues. You may need to bump up the initial membership fee. Just don't put the new guy behind the dish with your shirt. TD will remember who they used. Accept that these will either be sold at cost or as a small loss leader. Your crews will all be wearing the same shirt and people will know where the umpires came from. 

[GreyhoundAggie]

I disagree. I don't want my shirts patched or embroidered. I don't want to own different shirts for every different organization I call for. Adds to the cost of umpiring tremendously. Most associations already have their own hats.

[JaxRolo]

Eject early to eject less.

At one point in my career as an umpire I decided I was just going to eject problem coaches right away. Now I rarely have an ejection.

I've had a couple coaches that have since become umpires and now they tell me that they now see why I ejected them.