I will be officiating six t-ball games in a row today.

Not my normal gig but I will get through it somehow.

Anyone else an umpire?

My Nephew has his first Tball game this morning. They had a "scrimmage " game a few days ago, my sister sent me a video of him, he's an athletic little kid.
Hauling cows this morning so hopefully we get back in time for it.

Will miss oldest grandsons first T ball game today. Will definitely make a couple though.

I officiate from the dugout and stands like any good coach or parent because all umpires are complete idiots and blind as bats

I actually heard a dad on our team say that in earshot of our team. Man I gave him an earful to the side and told him either keep his damn mouth shut or volunteer his time to do a better job.

Have fun today! All our games are cancelled for today due to field conditions.

Years ago I did, at around age 11-12 it starts to get real fun umping up until then its just entertainment don't take it too serious

If you have never done it before, about 5% of the parents will suck the life out of you or it did me...

I was an ump back in high school. The younger the kids were, the worse the parents were. That's a fact.

I agree, I coached my sons first t ball team. The first and last time coaching baseball. Coached soccer for a couple years when he was the same age. Much more relaxed, just had to keep them going in the right direction.

I do a lot of screaming at the Umps. Most are clueless kids and overweight cats who have no business behind the plate. (CP2 & Minors Coach here)

Sounds like you would be the perfect ump, time to step up

Davis, I umpired for one season back when I was a clueless kid. I was doing the best I could and trying to be as fair as possible for my wage of a measly 10 bucks a game. I know that I made mistakes, but I did the best I could. It was parents like you that made me quit.
Next time, man up and bite your tongue or get out there and do it yourself.

There's one in every crowd. I guess that reaches to THF too. I am 48 years old, 5'10" 155 pounds - so which am I? Young kid or fat cat?

I had an assistant (it's usually not the head coach that is the bully) tell me yesterday that my judgement call was wrong and his was right because he played college baseball...He was the only grumpy coach all day out of the 60 I interacted with and his team was winning at the time and won the game.

I don't normally do t-ball. I usually do boys' 12U and sometimes 10U.

I was scheduled for 12U girls' fastpitch until the rain made their field unusable. 10-12 boys didn't play due to field conditions but boys' 6U (t-ball) and 8U (coach pitch) did so I took the whole 6U schedule.

Got there at 8:00 as requested. First game at 9:00. Got paid a game's wage for a lunch break until noon. Got home at 5:00.

I played 8 years as a kid before travel/select teams were a thing, I coached little league for seven years, sometimes 2-3 teams at a time, and served on the Board of Directors for the County league for 4-6 years. This is the first time I have been paid to be involved in the Great Game I have loved my whole life. The few cavemen and numbskulls can't bother me unless I let them.

Thanks for umping gas. Classy parents appreciate you man.

I've been attending youth baseball games for 15 years and now college.. There are so many a-hole parents in the stands...including friends of mine. I cannot stand it anymore. People need to keep their freaking mouth shut and let the game go. It's just another game. There will be 20 more in 2 weeks. Does it matter that much every pitch you dont agree with?

not umping but I did coach and pitch 2 U6 softball games and helped coach one U10 game sat also.

I was pretty impressed, I didnt ding one kid, although i thought about dinging mine.

I did it back in high school, I did Peewee which was 2nd and 3rd graders. Most of the heckling was funny and then of course than those few people who took it way too serious.

should of asked him if he had any college or pro scouts in stands scouting his coaching

My 12 yr old has been playing soccer and baseball since 5 yrs old and past few years both competitive (won't use select as that is washed up term) and soccer has by far the worst parents in our experience. Never had an issue with baseball parents.

OK, serious Q, what exactly are you umpiring in T-Ball. My son's little league didn't bring in paid umps until it got to kid pitch. From coach pitch through machine pitch, each team had to provide a coach to umpire the game before or the game after. T-Ball was basically a free-for-all and the coaches on the field umped the game as it took place. As we were leaving, they started bringing in paid umps for coach and machine. However, they did that to try and get more coaches in the league because no one wanted to spend the extra couple of hours twice a week to umpire.

Nothing wrong with sending a message "high and tight" Bobo.......

Ha! No kidding. Good on you GG for helping out. Seems like most of those youth coaches that feel the need to proclaim "I played college ball" actually sucked, can't deal with it, and choose to live and attempt to succeed through some 12 yr old. Pretty sad.

I applaud the umps in this day and age. Most are decent. But the umps that have never played baseball or know the game or do not have the "baseball eye" to make to right calls can be rough on the game.

We once had a really bad umpire and he came over to talk and brag a little. I told him umps are like the weather man, you can get the call wrong and still keep your job. He didn't like that comment.

When I coached my sons team, we had an umpire make a horrible call in a championship game that effected the outcome of the game. The lead umpire was in the stands behind home plate, and I had asked for his help and clarification on the call. I threw a fit and he threw me out of the game. Fast forward about 10 years later, I see him working at UPS when I'm dropping off my ammo shipments. He remembered me and I certainly remembered him. I mentioned that call and he said yes, it was a bad call. I said I know, that's why I threw such a fit and you threw me out. I wanted you to consult with the lead guy, which he wouldn't do. We laughed about, but I was royally pissed at the time.

I coached a whole lot for about ten years at the youth level. Then to a lessor degree more recently with my Grandson.
Once while watching a little scrimmage type game they begged me to get behind the plate to call. I was horrible!!! I could not believe how hard it was to tell a ball from a strike. It didnt even have to be close and I still felt clueless. Maybe its just me but I suggest if youre the type to holler at an ump that you get out there and try.
I commend all volunteers for youth sports. It couldnt be done without you.

There's three of those at least in every crowd. No worries there.


I think that needs a question mark and not a period so now you know "what needs umpired".
I bet this county league will send two, if not three t-ball teams to a State tournament. So tell me...How many swings does our league allow? When is time out called? Where does the fair arc and the the safety arc go? Tell me how to deal with defensive coaches in the outfield. Please also cite the USSSA rulebook. See? T-ball needs an official.


Right. Problem is, people like that are "involved" in every stage of kids' lives...without really being involved. Before I was an umpire, I was on the board and a coach. When I quit that, I didn't take much time off then got on a high school band boosters board because my kids are musicians. Found the same thing there.


The officials here played, played a lot, officiated a lot, coached, or some combination of all. I understand your sentiment.


I wish the average parent knew this. I understand. I assisted a type A coach for many years and had a tough time getting him to shut up. He's still a very close friend but dad-gum-it. You are NOT making it easier. Funny thing is...before we retired as coaches and we were still serving as volunteers on the board...he said one day we'd be officiating to get it fixed. I never considered it. Now I am and he isn't.

But let's be clear. I am (finally) NOT a volunteer. I am getting paid to officiate after all the years of volunteering.

A "state" tournament for t-ball?? I've got 3 sons who are all well past t-ball, but I've got to say I've never heard of a State T-ball Tournament. T-ball is as rec as it gets. It's certainly not something I'd consider competitive enough to even be AA.

Yea, we just started our practices this past week. Our league doesn't even keep score. Of course we're 4U so have a lot of 3 Year Olds on the team. They basically built sand castles around home plate last practice

sorry, there should have been a ? at the end of that. It still seems odd to have an ump there. Pretty much everything you listed could be covered by the coaches on the field just as easily. Maybe you have ump's at the state tournament, but then this sounds more like select T-Ball than regular little-league/rec t-ball.

I dont know about State Tball tournies but 28 years ago my sons team won the "State" Tball Championship. Seemed odd at the time that there was only about 6 teams there and they were all from within about an hour. Oh, well, we got the tshirt to prove it and the kids got pizza after game......

State Tournament comment was tongue in cheek.


In my opinion, kids aren't ready for things like organized sports until they can count to 20, Say the ABC's properly, and clean themselves after going to the restroom. That would eliminate most all of 6U. I, myself would not participate in a league for 3/4 YO's. Then again, my youngest of four kids is 12 years old so there's a lot I won't go back and do again.


By that logic, there is no need for officials in any age group. Why don't parents umpire 12U? Because 12U baseball is a sport and t-ball is a sport based activity?

Gasguz, I hope you know I was poking fun at them calling it a "State" tourny.

My son is only 4 and has been able to do all that for a while now. Although I'm probably raising him a bit different than a lot of parents these days so maybe that has something to do with it or maybe he is just a fast learner like me

My son and 2 other kids are the only ones grasping the directions and are catching grounders and throwing the ball back to me and actually making it to me. They're also the only kids that are grasping the concept of hitting the ball, dropping the bat, and running to 1st.

Every kid is different. I have coached both my sons, 5 yrs apart starting with 5U. Both raised same way, just has to do with more of their personality traits. My older one is very driven, wants to win and learn and get better. Hard worker. Younger one I see the same skill set, but he isn't driven near as much. So it was a learning curve having one that was always one of the better kids on the field at that age to one that just mixed in as you described the other kids on your sons team.

Also others just develop and catch on later. Seen several that have developed into great players that you wouldn't have bet on at that younger age.

For sure. That is very common. Most teams have only one or two kids that understand what is happening enough to care. They're usually better.

Parents laugh at the general ineptitude but it's sad to me to see kids being made to do something "fun" they don't even understand.

Each team usually also has one kid that is physically ahead but mentally behind and those are the toughest to coach. This phenomenon repeats at 10 for girls and 12 for boys.

I umped some when I was in college. Mostly 12 and under. Had very little issues with the players or coaches, but the parents would wear me out.

JR