"Don't like the Blue's call?" or "Do you want to be an umpire!?"

[Dabears17]

I've been the 'umpire of last resort' for my local rec league for 10 years. Call me if the game will be canceled if I don't do the game. Most years I make less than $240. This year I made $320. The league gives me 2 polo shirts. I bought shoes, legs, ball bag, indicator, brush, and catchers chest protector over the years. Dark pants or umpire grey pants preferred, but jeans are ok.

You think I did pretty good? I've been thinking about umpiring after my DD graduates HS for 4 years. I know the head of one of the local officials' associations and he's been after me for three years to do a few games. When my DD was in 2nd year 12's I got cornered by umpires twice during tournaments asking me to umpire. Thinking about umpiring a few fall ball tournaments this fall.

So, I took the plunge:
Officials registration fee: $63
Additional equipment I need to be an official umpire: $280

Wait, that does not include pants, and I'll need to spend $70 to $140 more on shirts if I want to do both days of a tournament. So, I've already spent more than I made this spring umpiring and still have more to spend before I can umpire a tournament or HS game!

A friend does AST tournaments. $70-$140 for different shirts, need a different hat, maybe a different ball bag. Another $60-70 in registration fees?

I thought this was going to be an easy way to make $100-$200 a weekend?

Oh, how much are umpires clinics going to cost?

 

[Chris8]

Good luck. Thanks for jumping in. You'll be great. And....maybe further the game in a positive direction with your knowledge and prior experiences.

 

[Hustle LI]

there is eventually an end of the expense for clothes, the money will come after. gotta put in to get out. besides, most people do not do this for money as the main motivation. i find, even with the umpires, it is all about the kids and the game.

 

[djcarter1966]

$100 a weekend??? Should be making $40-50 a game that's $300-400 a weekend and these shouldn't be annual cost these should be one time cost then replace and renew as needed

 

[KrisHur]

Don't forget boxing lessons for those parking lot "chats". Thanks for stepping up and helping out!!

 

[marriard]

I've been the 'umpire of last resort' for my local rec league for 10 years. Call me if the game will be canceled if I don't do the game. Most years I make less than $240. This year I made $320. The league gives me 2 polo shirts. I bought shoes, legs, ball bag, indicator, brush, and catchers chest protector over the years. Dark pants or umpire grey pants preferred, but jeans are ok.

You think I did pretty good? I've been thinking about umpiring after my DD graduates HS for 4 years. I know the head of one of the local officials' associations and he's been after me for three years to do a few games. When my DD was in 2nd year 12's I got cornered by umpires twice during tournaments asking me to umpire. Thinking about umpiring a few fall ball tournaments this fall.

So, I took the plunge:
Officials registration fee: $63
Additional equipment I need to be an official umpire: $280

Wait, that does not include pants, and I'll need to spend $70 to $140 more on shirts if I want to do both days of a tournament. So, I've already spent more than I made this spring umpiring and still have more to spend before I can umpire a tournament or HS game!

A friend does AST tournaments. $70-$140 for different shirts, need a different hat, maybe a different ball bag. Another $60-70 in registration fees?

I thought this was going to be an easy way to make $100-$200 a weekend?

Oh, how much are umpires clinics going to cost?

I spend roughly $1,000/year on gear, uniforms, pants, socks, equipment, timers, registration fees, etc, etc. Softball umpiring is REALLY rough on gear and uniforms and you will find if you are regularly umpiring you will be steadily replacing things over time. Also you will upgrade certain things you start out with as you find out things you feel comfortable with.

Umpire clinics are either free (local and rare) or expensive ($100-1000 and still rare) depending on who ius running it - even the cheap ones like the normally good USA Softball Schools will rarely be where you are so add in travel, hotels, etc.

 

[Dabears17]

A friend of mine coached 6u through 12th grade for three daughters. Thought about umpiring softball, but once he figured out startup costs for umpiring of at least $1000, he became a basketball referee in the winter and found a HS AC coaching gig for the spring. He said he has no desire to be outside in the heat in the late spring/summer and cold in February when he can be a nice temperature-controlled gym when he officiates.

If we are going to get new officials like we need, leagues, tournament directors, and sanctioning bodies need to be willing to do stuff like give perspective umpires $500-$800 worth of gear and do something like give them $50 credit towards their gear for every game they do.

What are the start up costs for officiating volleyball, tennis, or basketball? $100-$150 in clothes and what ever official registration fees are.

I forgot to include sox and timers, or an equipment bag in my numbers. Right now I am using the all-star bag my DD's equipment came in.

 

[Dabears17]

$100 a weekend??? Should be making $40-50 a game that's $300-400 a weekend and these shouldn't be annual cost these should be one time cost then replace and renew as needed

When I'm easing in this fall, I figure I'll just do two games a weekend, maybe three tops. My DD is a senior in high school this fall. She hasn't decided yet whether she'll play softball in the fall. I think she'll lean towards guest playing a couple times but take most of the fall off. All that. plus at least two HS volleyball tournaments on weekends, will limit the amount I'll officiate this fall. Plus any camps she might want to do if she wants to play in college.

 

[1bucketmom]

You’ll be great…. hubby wants to do same when he retires. I’ll tag along as professional heckler.

 

[CoachJD]

I get how the cost can be prohibitive for someone who wants to umpire casually. That's a problem, as everyone who wants to chip in and ump a few games here and there shouldn't be priced out.

But for those who wants to seriously do it, I don't think this cost is a huge deal or all that unique for an independent contractor. There are many, many jobs that require a certain amount of out-of-pocket cost, especially initially (it's all a tax write-off, too). Even in the world of softball you have coaches spending hundreds or thousands of dollars out of their own pocket (even unpaid coaches do this). Those who give private lessons has to invest in materials, technology, etc.

I have a lot of empathy for what umpires go through, and I agree that in many situations they're not paid nearly enough, but I just don't know that these costs are unreasonable for someone who wants to umpire regularly.