Do you have what it takes……
Becoming a high school baseball umpire is a choice that requires thoughtful consideration of your personal desire to work with people in challenging and tough situations. The umpire’s personality must include the ability to interact with payers, coaches and other umpires in an approachable and professional manner.
You’ll need to be prepared to completely learn a complex set of rules and understand how to apply them. This is crucial to becoming a successful umpire. Knowledge of the rules can help control and manage a game that has no time limits or barriers for coaches to engage in a discussion or disagreement about the umpire’s adjudication of the rules.
There is a commitment and investment that requires time and financial resources. Spending your time at a training camp that will take you away from family or other events as well as cost a registration fee will be a necessary sacrifice. However, the confidence and skills that are developed at these trainings will give you the ability to work games that have increasing levels of compensation.
Your appearance will also be examined and judged by the coaches, players and spectators. It is important to look and act professional from the time you arrive on the game site until you leave. Having a clean and neat appearance including clean pants and shirts will go a long way in presenting an initial appearance of competency.
Umpiring baseball is often called “having the best seat in the house”. You will be an instrumental part of conducting the game and ensuring that participants and spectators enjoy the benefits of playing a sport that is a great game.
-Ken Leventhal
