LL Umpire Registry?!

[catoblue]

A couple years ago, I went to the LL website looking for some rules interps or other umpire materials and came across the "Upire Registry". I was a little surprised to see that they charged membership dues, but didn't think much of it at the time - all the publications were still hard-copy, so I figured that the dues were a way to recoup the costs of printing and shipping them to members..

For some reason, I stopped at that site again, and see that all of their books are now available electronically - to paid members only. Now that these are "e-books", there is no longer a cost associated with pringing and shipping these to volunteer umpires - or potential umpires, for that matter.

OK... Maybe I'm just a cheap SOB, but with the way LL pushes the use of "Volunteer Umpires", you'd think they would make any resources they can, available for free or at-cost.

Think about it. A volunteer umpire is already donating their time to the LL organization. Chances are, if they umpire with any regularity, they've gone so far as to purchase their own equipment, uniforms, etc. They've most likely donated even more of their time, and probably even their own money to attend a clinic or ten. So now, if they want to join the organization of volunteer LL umpires and have some resources direct from LL available, they have to shell out an additional $25? What do they get for their money? Rule books mailed early, so they don't have to wait for the local league to hand them one; the two LL umpire books that haven't been updated in a decade or more; a newsletter 4 or 5 times/year; and a patch!!!! Oh BOY!!!! who do I make the check out to?!!!

What a bunch of hypocrisy! We want people to volunteer, but we're gonna charge them if they want to have any LL resources available to them.

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that charging volunteers for access to their online resources is a bunch of BS?

Thank goodness for forums like this. As someone that donates his time to call LL games, has invested in equipment and attends clinics at least every other year, I appreciate Umpire Empire being available as a resource for me. Thank you UIC for providing such a great resource!!!

[Umpire in Chief]

Go ahead and let it out....

I have never laid a hand on the LL RIM. Someone here found it online and posted a link somewhere. I've had a couple of issues with LL rules like number of visits and other little things.

My philosophy is if you want me to call your games you need to give me the rules. My association gives us the FED rulebook every year, my PONY dues give me OBR yearly, AAU & USSSA are available online.

I have never received a LL book nor will I buy one and I only do paid LL games.

[willv28]

Go ahead and let it out....

I have never laid a hand on the LL RIM. Someone here found it online and posted a link somewhere. I've had a couple of issues with LL rules like number of visits and other little things.

My philosophy is if you want me to call your games you need to give me the rules. My association gives us the FED rulebook every year, my PONY dues give me OBR yearly, AAU & USSSA are available online.

I have never received a LL book nor will I buy one and I only do paid LL games.

Our league always supplies rule books to the umpires every year. I don't see why every league shouldn't have to supply a rule book every year to each umpire when they must supply two rule books to each team every year.

[therefump]

Well, I think everyone has to do a little bit of volunteerism but I agree with scalping $25.00 from volunteers is a bit of a scam.

....and to think I was going to b*tch about American Legion not sending the Pro Rules book anymore. Worse, I paid the $40.00 late fee.

That's not fair! And then I tell my kids.....life's not fair.

[someoneinca]

You can always get the RIM from other places for free.

PM me your email if you want the 2009 version. I have it.

[catoblue]

You can always get the RIM from other places for free.

PM me your email if you want the 2009 version. I have it.

Thank you for the offer. I managed to track the RIM down online, and the local league provided the little green book. I've gotten pretty good at hunting down LL umpiring resources from places other than littleleague.org. It's not that I'm unable to get my hands on stuff that has me T'd off, it's just the hypocrisy of LL pushing the whole volunteer angle, then turning around and charging volunteers to access their resources. If they were really serious about recruiting and retaining volunteer umpires, you would think they would make every resource they have available - all in one place so that nobody has to spend a ton of time looking elsewhere to find what LL should be providing free to their volunteers.

[willv28]

Thank you for the offer. I managed to track the RIM down online, and the local league provided the little green book. I've gotten pretty good at hunting down LL umpiring resources from places other than littleleague.org. It's not that I'm unable to get my hands on stuff that has me T'd off, it's just the hypocrisy of LL pushing the whole volunteer angle, then turning around and charging volunteers to access their resources. If they were really serious about recruiting and retaining volunteer umpires, you would think they would make every resource they have available - all in one place so that nobody has to spend a ton of time looking elsewhere to find what LL should be providing free to their volunteers.

I know it's not nice. They books should be supplied when they're supplied for the coaches. Also, LL is incredibly slow in getting resources out to leagues. We get the every year but often not before the season actually begins because that's how long they take to get here. I obtained it through other sources. Personally I'd have no problem paying $25 if I got something more AND that money went to my local little league.

[mstaylor]

Come on guys, you get a bat ring when you join the registry, what could you ask for? Actually LL, Pony, USSSA, Dixie and BR all has a national membership and as far as I know LL is the only one that has anything like the RIM or Regional schools. Other groups have mechanisms to ask questions and supply patches and rulebooks but no schools or casebooks.

[kylejt]

There hasn't been a need to ever join the Registry. I get my rule book from my local for free, and it usually beats the guys who sign up for the Registry. If I need a patch, they're a buck from your Regional. The RIM was availible on-line from LL for a few weeks last year, and then was pulled. But they're out there. The other books are worthless. And the newsletters are usually fodder for ripping on bad interpretations.

Now, there's always been a rumor out there that you'd need to be a member of the Registry to get a sniff at a Regional or WP. :kissass:I don't know if that's true, but if that were your goal in life I guess it couldn't hurt.

Oh yeah, the other youth organizations umpire training is a joke, compared to LL. I mean, I send my youth umpires to a one week, live in, umpire school for $300 a head. There's no better training on the planet for Junior umpires.

Edited May 8, 2009 by kylejt

[nolanadair]

Now a days the Rules Instruction Manual is being posted online. Each and every year I download the Rules Instruction Manual and put it inot a binder with sheet protectors. I use this instead of the rule book, because it is bigger and has comments about interpretatiosn of the rule, etc. I put it in an equipment bag that I take to every game (just in case I have to do plate if the plate guy gets hurt, etc.). I find it very useful. Their is also a rules index that is made for the RIM. I also print this out and put it at the back of the nibder. This way I can easily search for what I am looking for with out having to remember exactly what rule it falls under.

[LLWS#32]

Your local league (if you are a volunteer) really ought to pick up the tab on your registry membership.

[nolanadair]

I don't think that the local Little League should pick up the registry fee because of the following reasons:

1. I think that the money should be spent on kids sponsorship fees. Some kids do not have the money to play Little League baseball because the regristration fees are over 100 dollars in our league.

2. Spend the money on field renovations

3. You could use the money to buy equipment for under privileged kids in the local league.

4. You could also use the money to buy a piece of equipment for an umpire (I know this might be more expensive, but not if you were going to buy the regristration for all your umpires. Buying equipment for one umpire who has done a lot for your league would mean more.)

If a league wants to foot the bill for the little league umpire regristry for a couple of umpires, ok, but don't do it for all the umpires in your league (assuming most leagues use junior umpires, and have at least 20 umpires over the course of the year).

[catoblue]

Now that all of the LL umpire publications are available in electronic form, I don't see any reason for anybody to pick up the tab - as there shouldn't be a fee for the registry. Let anybody that wants to umpire in LL simply download the materials. A no-brainer if you ask me... but NO, let's charge our volunteers $25 so that they can get their hands on our resources!!!

I wholeheartedly agree that LL has the best, and least expensive training programs, and their programs are worth every cent that is charged attendees, but the "Registry", to me, is a scam. That LL is running a scam on it's volunteers, ticks me off.

I'm just saying...

[semper_fi_72]

Your local league (if you are a volunteer) really ought to pick up the tab on your registry membership.

Little League is about volunteering.

Even though some pay umpires, it should be considered reimbursement for travel, equipment and supplies. If you do take pay for LL Games, you will not be able to get a nomination to do Regional s or to WS if you are good.

Joining the LL Umpire Registry is not required to call LL Games. You also get materials you would buy anyway such as rule books.

Besides you can take it as a deduction on your taxes with all your other association fees, milage, equipment you buy etc etc.

It is well worth it!!!!

[willv28]

Well, the down thing is each team gets free rule books and many others do. We don't necessarily get them, there's usually enough to go around though.

[kylejt]

I'm a UIC at a local league, and my BoD asks me how many rule books and patches I need for my crew every year, as they place an order from Regional every December for OMs. I get them far faster than if I went through the Registry. The rest of the Registry stuff I can live without.

[willv28]

That's nice of them. We do the same, but in those cases the league is paying for the rulebooks. When they do, I usually don't get them until after the season starts. I got mine earlier this week that I bought.

[mstaylor]

Most leagues in my area do not give their umpires rulebooks. I don't know how they expect the guys to know and understand the rules. They give each team a set of books and for the most part I can guarnantee they are prestine.

[semper_fi_72]

Three weeks, 2 emails and I am still waiting for the materials to come from WP in the mail. WP does not have very good customer service. I paid for something, so that makes me a customer, not just a volunteer. If I bought just the items I bet I would have received them already.

[kylejt]

Got my new rule book, OM, Umpire patches and yes, my beloved bat ring from my league president this evening.

Getting Registry stuff late is normal. I gave up on that years ago.

[mstaylor]

Joining the Registry is a personal choice but as far as leagues paying for it, that's a situational thing. Many leagues pay their umpires with uniforms, equipment or gift certificates to suppliers, depending on the number of games you worked. The Registery is another example, you work X games and the league picks up your membership. You don't fulfill the prescribed amount and it comes out of your pocket.