ASA Umpires Needed in NorCal this Weekend

[ssarge]

Folks:

I am posting this here and on the FP discussion board, at the request of Bill Smith, the Commisioner of the NorCal Women's FP Summer League:


HELP WANTED

NorCal Women's Fastpitch League needs ASA-certified umpires for this coming weekend, Saturday and Sunday, June 18-19.

Event to be held at Roseville's Mahany Park from 10am to 6pm. Four game slots, two fields. If you have logistical problems, perhaps we can work together.

Contact: Bill Smith 650-307-2980 or nuggetsoftball@aol.com

[MTR]

Why isn't he calling the local ASA umpire association?

[tcannizzo]

Bill goes back to the original FPF. He should know exactly what to do.

[ssarge]

Every conceivable call has been made. Tough weekend in California with numerous association championships, a Gold Regional, etc. Just trying everything possible before canceling the first weekend for the NorCal Women's League.

Regards,

Scott

[MTR]

Every conceivable call has been made. Tough weekend in California with numerous association championships, a Gold Regional, etc. Just trying everything possible before canceling the first weekend for the NorCal Women's League.

Regards,

Scott

Okay, I understand. However, that raises a question that I have asked for years locally only to get the strangest looks.

Do any of these organizations talk to each other or check a calendar before scheduling their leagues or tournaments? I know Bill's been around a long time, so he knows what is going on in the softball world.

I've suggested for years to the local associations that if they coordinate their efforts, there is less competition for fields, umpires and most of all, teams/players to participate. You would think that I just asked them to kill their first born.

[Iluvblue]

Thats a good one.... right now in our area we have little battles going on all over the place between Premier, IFA, ASA, and the like.

Umpires being told if they work one association, then they cant work the other association. No way are they going to work together.

Waiting to see them try to tell teams that if they play in one association then they can not play in another and see how that goes over.

[AlwaysImprove]

Every conceivable call has been made. Tough weekend in California with numerous association championships, a Gold Regional, etc. Just trying everything possible before canceling the first weekend for the NorCal Women's League.

Regards,

Scott

Okay, I understand. However, that raises a question that I have asked for years locally only to get the strangest looks.

Do any of these organizations talk to each other or check a calendar before scheduling their leagues or tournaments? I know Bill's been around a long time, so he knows what is going on in the softball world.

I've suggested for years to the local associations that if they coordinate their efforts, there is less competition for fields, umpires and most of all, teams/players to participate. You would think that I just asked them to kill their first born.

If it is like our areas schedules are more or less dictated to you. Schools get out on certain dates, HS ball ends on a certain date, those often only leave a few choice weekends. So everyone is left scrambling.

Also the game does not revolve around umpires. Umpires are equally necessary as teams, fields and coaches.

[MTR]

If it is like our areas schedules are more or less dictated to you. Schools get out on certain dates, HS ball ends on a certain date, those often only leave a few choice weekends. So everyone is left scrambling.

I understand that, but it isn't like any of the associations can add or remove weekends to the calendar.

Also the game does not revolve around umpires. Umpires are equally necessary as teams, fields and coaches.

Who said they did? But apparently, from the OP, you are wrong, it does in some areas. That is a standard comment from a Field of Dreams mentality. I don't have enough keystrokes left in my fingers to tell you how many times I've had people tell me they believe umpires come with the fields, or that if they schedule a tournament, ASA/USSSA/AFA/NSA/PONY/etc. HAS TO provide umpires because the team is registered.

Well, guess what? There aren't that many people out there willing to put up with some of the crap so they take up golf. And if you think I'm kidding, the number of umpires in my state is less that half of what the number of umpires was in a single association 15 years ago.

The interest, even with good money available, just isn't there. You can schedule all you want, there are still so many umpires to go around who are willing to give up their family, friends and career time for softball.

I live with this issue every day and am well aware of the pitfals and misconception of today's game.

And I'm not even talking about competing sanctioning bodies, but one entity. However, in most areas, they are the same umpires for all the orgs. soe that is that many less which are available for any tournament.

It only makes sense that you coordinate among your neighboring softball organizations, but you keep banging heads and the officiating community will shrink that much more.

[AlwaysImprove]

If it is like our areas schedules are more or less dictated to you. Schools get out on certain dates, HS ball ends on a certain date, those often only leave a few choice weekends. So everyone is left scrambling.

I understand that, but it isn't like any of the associations can add or remove weekends to the calendar.

Also the game does not revolve around umpires. Umpires are equally necessary as teams, fields and coaches.

...
Who said they did? But apparently, from the OP, you are wrong, it does in some areas.
...

You did, and guess what, you are saying it again.

In our area we used to have a lot of 32 team 14u tournaments. The number of players coming out anymore is way down. Little leagues used to have 5 teams, now they struggle to have 1. Plenty of umpires to go around, not enough teams and players.

[MTR]

...
Who said they did? But apparently, from the OP, you are wrong, it does in some areas.
...

You did, and guess what, you are saying it again.

In our area we used to have a lot of 32 team 14u tournaments. The number of players coming out anymore is way down. Little leagues used to have 5 teams, now they struggle to have 1. Plenty of umpires to go around, not enough teams and players.

Apparently, you need to find a third grader to explain reading comprehension to you.

The way you and others whine and cry about the umpiring, how can you say there are plenty of umpires. You obviously are not seeing them. If there are that many umpires, the good ones must be avoiding your teams.

Speaking ASA, umpire registrations are down by more than 40% over the past decade and quite a few of the good ones are retiring, many because of all the BS that is now involved with the game. I know my area loses 2-4 umpires a year for exactly that reason. Yet people keep on scheduling events and wonder why this becomes an issue.

You can believe what you like, I live it.