As baseball leagues and high schools begin to prepare for what the upcoming spring season will look like, the North Shore Baseball Umpires Association (NSBUA) is also beginning to prepare. The NSBUA is offering its annual new member class at half price this year, cutting the entry fee to $50. The class will be held via Zoom this year and will begin on Feb. 8.
“Umpiring is a great way to remain connected to the game,” said NSBUA President Joe Gill. “I started doing this when I was 16 and it’s been a great way to remain involved. We’ve been trying to get more people involved with umpiring.”
The $50 membership fee gets access to the first-year umpire’s class and test, the entire cost of dues for the first year of membership, a veteran NSBUA mentor and a free one-year membership to the New England Baseball Umpire Club (NEBUC).
“The idea has been to really invest in our membership,” said Gill. “We’re putting our money where our mouth is. We want the best umpires in the area to be in our organization, and we’re going to work as hard as we can to provide each member with the tools to be the best.”
The first-year umpire’s class teaches members Major League Baseball rules to start, but the plan is to eventually offer members various educational seminars that will delve into the rules of different leagues and age divisions.
“Getting started is a little tough because there are so many different rules for the different leagues, but the seminars are really going to help with that,” said Gill. “All of our members will have free access to every virtual seminar.”
One of the things that Gill is most excited about this year is the addition of the veteran NSBUA mentor for each new member.
“This is something we’ve been trying to put into action for a few years now, so we’re really excited about it,” Gill said of the mentor program. “The No. 1 issue with our umpires is burnout, and a lot of the time our guys don’t know who to turn to for help. It’s all about learning how to be better for us, and we think this mentor program is really going to help our members.”
The other big perk is the membership to the NEBUC, which is headed by former professional umpire Bill McCallum.
“Getting the opportunity to pick his brain is something that every umpire should want to take advantage of,” said Gill. “His organization also offers a number of seminars, so the opportunity to learn is always there.”
Gill notes that the NSBUA is making a real push this year to invest in its membership and really help make each umpire the best he or she can be.
The NSBUA is expecting a large number of games this spring, with little leagues and Babe Ruth leagues all planning to play in some shape or form this year. With the high school season currently slated to run as late as mid-summer and men’s leagues abound across the North Shore, the need for quality umpires is as great as it’s ever been.
“There are going to be more games than ever and we have fewer officials than ever, so it’s going to be a busy season for us,” said Gill. “Our membership is going to be ready to go whenever that first pitch is scheduled, and we’re all excited to get back to work.”
For more information, contact [email protected].