Hi, I’m the UIC for District 9, and I need your help. All the kids in Little League need your help. This message is long, so if you want a tldr;, here’s the bottom line: Little League can’t continue without your help as a volunteer umpire. Whether it’s for the youngest kids or for one of the upper divisions with the oldest kids, we desperately need your help! Contact your local league UIC, or just contact me at rlittle@d9ump.org. We will train you, mentor you, partner with you, and have a great time in the process!
Now for the longer story…
Have you ever wondered where the umpires come from at the Little League world series? What about all the umpires that you see at district tournament games? They all come from the same place. You are those umpires! Every one of those umpires was a mom or dad, friend, brother, or sister of a little league player, and they all started out umpiring for their local little league. I started 20 years ago when my son’s coach asked for volunteers to umpire and I didn’t step backward fast enough, but I quickly learned that the best place to watch a game is from inside the fences.
Little League is an all-volunteer program. There are approximately 2 million players and 1 million adult volunteers from every U.S. state and across 80 other countries. Little League is not about winning the game, but rather about using the games of baseball and softball to teach life lessons and build stronger individuals and communities. Volunteerism and supporting the community is a big part of what Little League strives to model and teach the kids in the program.
Every position across Little League is volunteer. District Administrators, presidents, treasurers, safety officers, schedulers, announcers, managers, coaches, AND umpires. These umpires are parent just like you. Almost all the umpires you see at tournament games and even at the World Series started out at their local leagues, and many of them have continued volunteering long after their kids have gone on to college and beyond. Every one of us understands the value of volunteering and supporting Little League’s mission.
Why don’t we pay umpires? Because Little League is crystal clear that volunteer umpires are required for the international tournament. On top of that, paying for umpires just makes the problem worse. In fact, arguably most of the problems with officiating and sports today are because parents won’t volunteer their time to umpire for their Local Little Leagues.
When parents umpire games for their leagues, it demonstrates a commitment to the kids and the community that is vital. It teaches everyone, adults and kids alike, that we are all part of the game – trying to improve and do our best. Do they miss calls? Yes they do, and that’s part of the game, and part of the life lessons that Little League is all about. Players, coaches, and spectators all learn to value the effort put in by their fellow parents as they volunteer their time. This leads to a better relationship between spectators and officials (its hard to believe the umpire is evil and biased when they are your neighbor, and go to school or church with your kids). This starts a lifelong understanding of the role of officials, through high school, college and even major leagues.
You can make a big difference by volunteering your time for your local league as an umpire. Whether its for the youngest kids or the on the upper divisions with the oldest kids, we desperately need your help!
The first place to go to help is your local league UIC. If your local league doesn’t use volunteer umpires, we still need your help! Contact rlittle@d9ump.org and we will help you get started with training, games to work to get experience, and get you partnered with experienced umpires. Little League can’t survive without all of our volunteer support!
Thanks,
Rob Little
District 9 Umpire-in-Chief
