So you want to become an umpire ...
It's easy to get started umpiring, but do you really want to do it?
What does it take to start umpiring?
Umpiring is not a cheap investment, let's just get that out of the way before we continue. Start-up costs for a new umpire can approach $200-$300 depending on the level of equipment and apparel that you purchase. Ask around, umpires are buying new gear all the time, you might be able to find some used gear to save you some money initially.
Now that we have the cost of umpiring out of the way, the second obstacle most potential umpires have to overcome is their mental make-up. Umpiring is not for the timid; it takes a strong personality and a humble-assertiveness to excel as an umpire. If you are too mild mannered, coaches will eat you up every game ... if you are too abrasive and rough, your partners and administration wont be able to use you!
If you've made it this far and still have the desire to come out and subject yourself to massive amounts of ridicule and criticism, then you probably have what it takes to umpire. Continue reading to gather all the information you can before stepping out onto the field.
Clinics and Training
District 43 and the D43 Umpire program offer umpire training at the beginning of every season, giving you as much preparation as we can squeeze into the limited amount of time we have with you. To be a solid umpire and improve your ability to manage the game, you will need to put in time on your own; learning the rulebook, working on your footwork and positioning, and most importantly, your vocalization.
Clinics and Training dates will be posted on the website, on our Facebook page, and everyone will be emailed if we have contact information for you.
Scheduling
Scheduling umpires is the responsibility of each individual league. Please contact your local league to inquire about getting on the schedule for that location.
The D43 program has reached out to all leagues in the District to provide scheduling services for their umpires. The leagues that use our scheduling service will be scheduled using the ArbiterSports online scheduling service.
Pay
The most important thing, that no one wants to talk about ... paying umpires to officiate Little League Baseball games is a violation of the Little League Rulebook. However, the amount of umpires that are willing to work a significant number of games for no pay is extremely limited. You do the math ...
More questions?
If you still have questions, read around the site a bit ... you might find the answer. If not please use the Staff link on the menu and contact one of our staff members with your question
Thanks for reading!