- May 29, 2015
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- 113
You have to understand that SOMEONE has to umpire these rec league games. While the pay is the same as an 18U National Qualifier, or a "showcase tournament", many experienced umpires don't want to be bothered with them. So those games end up with inexperienced umps, or worse yet, bad umps. No different than a comment made in another thread about "know nothing" moms and dads coaching these 8U teams. If they didn't volunteer, there'd be no 8U teams for your kids to play on.
This is precisely why 8u games should not have umpires. The rules are so messed up that they do not teach “new” umpires worthwhile mechanics and habits. I’m not saying that there is nothing to learn from those games, but at the level of those umpires the things they should be learning aren’t there.
More experienced umpires do shy away from those games. When I started, I swore I would not do that. A game is a game is a game and they all deserve my best. That was then ... Now I do not feel that 8u is even close to being proper softball/baseball and I won’t do it.
And no, SOMEONE doesn’t have to. 8u is about learning fundamentals, not win-loss records and trophies. It’s an excuse for the tournament to justify charging you way too much money.