Not completely true about paying your own way from past experience. I called the Southeast Regional series 2 years in a row years ago and never called a LL game until the state tournament. Our assigning secretary assigned the state tournament and they paid us to call it from Georgia LL. Then he asked three of us if we were willing to go to the Southeast Regional and I went. They paid for motels, meals, and a small stipend for gas. None of us called LL during the year but HS and college. 2 of us got invited to go to LLWS but I had already taken off for the Regional and was going to do it again but I understand LLWS is the same. They pay for all expenses but don't pay you other than small stipend to cover extra expenses.
The strike zone is horrendous. I did not go back a third year because I refused to call the strike zone they wanted. My conversation with the Southeast Regional director of umpires was if they can't throw it close to strike zone they should not be here. I will not change the zone that is in the rule book other than what I normally do. But no way I'm calling balls in batter boxes. I laugh when I see it nowadays.