President's Message

Hi folks, today is going to be a quickie. I hope everyone is enjoying the summer!

Well, the dog days really are here, aren’t they? We had the umpire night at Capital One Park, and we had a few folks there; not as many as last year, but more than the year before. I want to thank Sam Lipman and Shaan Vardan for volunteering to coordinate next year’s effort. It’s always hard because there is so much going on every night.

As I sit here writing this note, I just got off the field. My game was canceled because the county closed all fields because of the air quality problem in the area. You know what that means; this is my monthly call to remember to take care of yourself on the field. Make sure you stay hydrated; make sure you manage the number of games you can do in a day. If you can only do one game, the assignors will find a spot for you.

The thing I want to talk about is an aspect of officiating that not everyone notices all the time. John Porter used to always say that an umpire was part teacher, part policeman, part diplomat, part babysitter and part therapist. You get the picture. Now, an umpire also has to be mechanically solid and practically bionic, considering all the videos out there on social media.

But what does this do for you? Umpiring means you are a person who can handle stressful situations (know any jobs where you need to work under pressure?) It means you can deal with a wide variety of people who disagree with you and with each other. Know any jobs where that skill can come in handy? It means you have to be physically fit. It means you have to make quick decisions that encompass a wide variety of factors. Know any jobs where that skill is necessary?

My point is simply this… umpiring gives you marketable skills. Make sure the whole world knows about that! When you apply for a job, don’t just tell them – yea, I go ump baseball as a side hustle. Tell them you are a professional sports official and you have all the relevant skills that go with that journey.

Enjoy the rest of the summer; I’m going to the beach next week, then getting ready for volleyball (still time – shameless plug).

See you in August,

Dave