Umpiring Your Kids Game?

I understand that in many youth leagues the parents are asked to umpire the games on a volunteer basis. It's a definite cost savings to the league and it gives them a taste of the "other side" of the game.

However, no parent should ever be an umpire for a game in which he has a child playing. The appearance of favoritism will always be there even if none is ever shown. It's simply a bad way to go.

I've umpired my son's game from LL to Jr Legion, and usually go the OTHER way and call it tighter on their end. Worst was being plate ump with son pitching--the plate got very narrow.

In my opinion it's just plain wrong for an ump to work a game in which he has a child playing. Even in JT's case

quote:

the plate got very narrow

he may have wound up being unfair to his son's teammates even though he had the best of intentions. The only time it might be justified to ump a game with your own child playing is in a scrimmage game where you choose one coach or parent from each team to umpire.

Don't teams pay to play in the 13U ECTB league?

JT, that's a good reason not to do it anymore.

I am of two minds on this issue....on one hand if this is 2 parents who volunteered to umpire so that the kids can play and "everyone" is aware of that fact....then Im ok with that at low levels of youth ball.....

However, if these were uniformed and assigned umpires then somewhere along the line an unethical decision was made......

You do not choose to umpire games that you have any "interest" in...no games your children are in or your relations....you very well may be able to carry the game off, but there will always be that hint of impropriety involved in your calling of that game......In this example, even though Congs team lost both games, that does not alleviate the concern of favoritism......

As an umpire, you cant separate your personal integrity from the game......The only way to keep this intact is to not take those games.....

let me put it this way, If you do your kids game and you call it 100% square...and technically perfect....if the other team wins someone from that side will say " of course they won, the umpire's kid plays for that team"......No matter what your motivation, No good deed goes unpunished.....

When they see you at another game, the first thing they will tell the team is that umpire (you) called a game with his kid playing in it.....Your integrity to another team is now shot even though youmay not have done a thing to deserve it.....

You do not umpire games that you have any "interest" in......

JT, it's waay past time to hang up the chest protector and retire the counter.

close plays are exactly that - CLOSE ... they should be decided on how you saw it, not a favor or un-favor of either team ... AND, the plate is ALWAYS 17 inches wide regardless of who is pitching

for you to admit you "went the other way" on close calls & changed your zone is to aknowledge you've done a dis-service to the game

The only time I could see it being acceptable is if it is a last second thing where if that parent didn't umpire then they couldn't play the game.

We even had it in a varsity game! For some reason, they didn't have one umpire much less two. Two of our dads volunteered to do it. Luckily it happened on a game day where our coach didn't bring the starting varsity players, but instead brought only those who seldom play varsity.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
Don't teams pay to play in the 13U ECTB league?

Yes we do... but the home team is responsible for supplying umpires... Each team splits the cost of these umpires. They are paid & carded officials.

Then there is no excuse for this to happen....

When you pay for uniformed and certified officials, one of the things you should expect to get for your money is unbiased officiating.......

Even if the game is called correctly that one hint of bias is enough for this to be unacceptable.....

When I was a kid My Dad umpired many games that I played in. I am the youngest of 6 kids 4 brothers 2 sisters. My Dad was umping long before I showed up and long after I stopped playing. I always thought he did a good job. When I was hitting I knew from watching him in the past that I wasn't going to get a break. I better get up there and hit anything close. As a player he treated me like any other player never by name always by number or position.I did on occasion say that this pitch or that pitch wasn't a strike or ball but never on the field. He would have kicked my A##. All in all he was fair because he loved doing a good job behind the plate regardless of me or my Brothers playing on HIS field.

Husband paid for his college education by working as an umpire, but he had no desire to umpire any games his son was in....until one Little League game.....only one umpire showed up....it came down to cancelling the game, or my husband coming down from the stands and calling the game.....both teams agreed to it....so he did.....he was fair....and all went well.....but he did not like being in that situation.....it's a tough enough job without adding another reason to question the umpires judgement....IMO

my dad umpired games when i was like 5. i remember one time i threw my bat accidently after hitting it and i hit a double, and by the time i got to second my dad was like...you're out. dont throw you're bat. i cried. i was mad at him for all of like 2 days too. lol geez those were the days.

Once, and only once, I did a son's practice game, because there was nobody else there to do it, and the coaches begged. I knew it was a bad idea before I started. Despite pre-game promises to the contrary, they put my son on the mound late in the game, and I never want to be in the position of calling balls and strikes on my own kid again. As objective as we all like to think we can be, it is impossible to put aside that's your kid out there. You cannot be a good ump if you're not conmfortable back there.

It went fine, but I was miserable and would never do it again. Ever.

My 2 cents:

The more competitive it is, the less business you have out there. 13U ECTB?? I think that costs a few sheckles to participate in those tourneys, ergo NO DADs umping.

In-house games?? Fine [but better idea to switch with a guy doing another game at the complex].

Travel games? Legion? Not worth the effort - no matter what you do, you are on a bad spot - calls for?? You're showing favoritism. Calls against? You're screwing your kid's team by trying to be impartial. Had some Legion games the last couple years where the plate ump was a kid on the other team's uncle - good guy, excellent ump, always had control, but it's the PERCEPTION that still ends up causing a problem.

Man...a situation to avoid at all costs. Imagine squeezing your own kid, then having to face him...then his mother!! NO way!