Are you saying it is impossible to have 2 jobs? If you work full time and then do something on the side for pay, it's not a job? Ever heard of a part-time job? Or a side gig?
Agree on all points
Quitting already?
- Thread starter RedeemerKing
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NFHS article has this quote :According to NFHS, 50,000 High School officials have stopped officiating since 2018:
Leaders at NFHS Officials Consortium Suggest Changes in Attitudes, Behavior
The NFHS is the national leader and advocate for high school athletics as well as fine and performing arts programs. Within our 51 member state associations, we serve 19,500 high schools and more than 12 million young people.www.nfhs.org
However, unacceptable behavior by coaches, parents and other spectators has pushed many officials to the sidelines. After all, why would anyone who is trying to help high school students compete on the fields and courts want to be harassed, ridiculed and abused – sometimes even physically – while trying to do their jobs?
I'm sorry marriard, it is a job, even according to the CEO of the NFHS. So any comparison to other jobs is valid. There is an expectation of performance for umpires. From the UIC to the coaches to the players to the parents. Parents/coaches pay umpires expecting to get value in return for payment. That value is expected to exceed the value that a random person off the street would offer if they did the task for free. That is a job.
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- Jan 22, 2011
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Have you ever umpired? Teddy Roosevelt's man in the arena speech comes to mind.
Roosevelt's "The Man in the Arena"
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better."
www.mentalfloss.com
All the adult umpires who work for my town's rec league could easily earn more money doing other 'side' jobs, but do it because they want to give back to the youth of the community and barely earn minimum wage in our town when you figure in having to show up ~20 minutes before game time. One opens his store late on Saturdays to umpire one game, and does two if necessary.
There are a few umpires that I see in HS ball that grate my nerves because they don't hustle as much as they should to get into good positions to make calls, but at least 2/3rds work their butts off. Ask any umpire on DFP if they would prefer the ones who are a bit lazy not be umpiring and I bet they all would say yes. But reality is if those umpires stopped officiating, games would have to be canceled like the article I linked to says has happened this spring in Indiana.
Fine.. lets go there.... Lets compare to other jobs.. Lets even let the fans have zero responsibility for their actions and assume they are going to continue to be allowed to behave as they do today.
It is a HIGHLY skilled job that is both physically and mentally demanding. It requires specialty skills and equipment, extensive knowledge and is performed under extreme pressure while being constantly judged (mostly by a crowd of unqualified people who are 100% not willing to do it) while receiving very little support. A very, very small number of people are willing and able to do it, and the the number who are actually experienced or very good at it is extremely small.
That describes a $100-200+/hr job all day long. Probably more.
Plus NFHS are as much of an issue as any other sanctions in not providing real support or training so what their CEO says... Well they are part of the issue.
- Jun 8, 2016
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I doubt there are workers in many industries that get yelled at every time they go to work..maybe the people that work at airports..maybe.
- Jun 8, 2016
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but hey, people are paying money right?? Consumerism on steroids...
It's not much, but I have made it a habit to say hello to umps at the beginning of the game, usually with the comment, "It's a beautiful day for softball". I also make sure to say "Thank you, Blue" at the end of the game, even if I might not have agreed with some of their decisions during the game. Despite rumors to the contrary, umps are human, and deserve to be acknowledged. It turns out that a lot of them enjoy chatting between innings, and I've had some really nice conversations with many.
- Apr 14, 2022
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So true, makes you wonder why they quit.
Softball coaches and parents normal members of a productive society Monday- Friday, 100% certifiable insane on game day.
I think you are looking at this the wrong way. I've not been critical of umpires as you keep trying to indicate. If you'll step back and notice, my original statement was an effort to find a solution to a problem. I suggested that to help solve the problem of situations escalating, umps should get thicker skin and just ignore a lot of the BS they hear. Several umps, including marriard AGREED with me about that. The second issue was correcting marriard, who for some reason was saying that it isn't a job. Which he has now essentially admitted was wrong on his part. So not sure why the snark from you but I've taken notice. Suggesting an outside the box solution to a problem and pointing out that umpiring is a job for some reason has upset you.Have you ever umpired? Teddy Roosevelt's man in the arena speech comes to mind.
Roosevelt's "The Man in the Arena"
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better."
I'll tell you two things I've learned in umpiring for the last four years:Yup. I umpire a handful of games a year for the local rec league. I've been thinking of becoming an umpire for travel ball and HS for about 5 years, but don't want to put up with the grief. Still may try it to see how it goes after my DD graduates HS next year.
What is the cost for gear to become an official umpire? Between shoes, pants, shirts, legs, and chest protector? Around $300 to $400? I'm lucky the local rec league provides two shirts, plus I can use my gear I used when catching my DD, and I can wear a dark pair of pants. My pay for the first game every year goes to insurance.
According to NFHS, 50,000 High School officials have stopped officiating since 2018:
Leaders at NFHS Officials Consortium Suggest Changes in Attitudes, Behavior
The NFHS is the national leader and advocate for high school athletics as well as fine and performing arts programs. Within our 51 member state associations, we serve 19,500 high schools and more than 12 million young people.
Umpire shortage cancels Indiana high school baseball games
High school baseball games are being canceled because of a lack of crews available to officiate the contests.www.wthr.com
Why Youth Sports Refs Are Leaving At Record Rate - Global Sport Matters
Young athletes lost months of play during pandemic shutdowns. Now, the drain of youth sports officials has the industry taking another hit.globalsportmatters.com
1-Its not as hard as you think to umpire a game. Most games are simple, balls/strikes, safe/ out on base. You'll get the occasional infield fly or interference, and once in awhile you may get a head scratcher, so you should have a good grasp of all the rules (I've read them all numerous times but I know something may pop up that I'm still not sure of). It's good exercise too to get in position for calls, I look at it like that.
2- the abuse is really not thAt bad. Like everywhere on the internet, we only put the bad stuff about umpiring here. In my short 4 years, I've done a coup!e of hundred games, I've never had a bad experience with coaches or fans. Sure I've had some " discussions" with coaches and alwAys hear the chirping of parents, but never had to eject a coach or address unruly crowd behavior.
So if you are thinking about it, try it, and bring that cat El Oso with you too, he needs to learn what he's talking about.
