Amateur Baseball Umpires’ Association and Excel Sports Officiating Announce Partnership
Excel Sports Officiating (ESO) and the Amateur Baseball Umpires’ Association (ABUA) have announced a partnership effective immediately.
Both organizations were founded with the general goal of improving officiating through instructional programs and resources for sports officials centered on their websites.
While the ABUA focuses on baseball and softball umpires, ESO serves baseball, basketball, and football officials and plans expansion into other U.S. sports. Leaders believe the complementary aspects of the two organizations will lead to a more comprehensive and streamlined service for their respective baseball members.
The ABUA, formed in 1998, is the largest membership association for amateur umpires in the United States. It provides educational programs and resources for youth, high school, and college umpires via its website, www.umpire.org. ABUA members can take advantage of an insurance policy that covers liability, accident medical, and game fee replacement for baseball and softball umpires. The ABUA assists USA Baseball by nominating umpires for most of their domestic games. The ABUA also participates in the recommendation process for umpires to work international games administered by the International Baseball Federation.
ESO, formed during 2005, is emerging as the largest and most comprehensive online educational resource for officials worldwide. Soon after launching its website, www.eofficials.com, ESO signed agreements with the NCAA and NFHS to provide online certification testing for officials. ESO Education Panels in three sports consist of many of the top educators in the nation.
Ralph Nelson , president of ESO and formerly vice president of umpiring for Major League Baseball, said, “Our philosophy at ESO since day one has been not only to supply officials and their leaders with innovative online educational resources, but to go a step further and seek to forge ‘win-win’ alliances with officiating resources that already exist. The ABUA partnership is a huge step in that direction. Umpires are going to benefit, and that is what these two fine organizations are all about.”
ABUA chairman Dick Runchey stated, “Our partnership with ESO is an exciting way for us to begin our 10 th year. It is important to me as a leader on the national and international level to watch for opportunities that can help umpires at all levels. This partnership creates a way for our respective members to find more and more resources. We look forward to the great things we can do together for umpires, the greatest officiating fraternity in the world.”
Individual memberships are currently $40 for ABUA and $49.95 for ESO; the price to join both is now $75. Current ESO members can upgrade to the combined membership for $25.
Contacts: Rick Roder (ESO editor)
Ted Breidenthal (ABUA executive director)
2007 BRUCE DOANE SR. UMPIRE CAMP
FEBRUARY 2, 3 & 4 , GRAND RAPIDS , MI
GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
CAMP FOUNDER
Bruce Doane, Sr., had a vision- his goal was to create a first-class training camp for amateur umpires. This vision has been a reality since 1991.
Bruce established this camp that now develops over 100 umpires annually. It was his leadership that brought campers, instructors, players and administrators together to find common ground. The common ground was the betterment of amateur baseball through umpire improvement.
Bruce passed away in July of 2003 at the age of 72. He is missed by the umpires he trained and the baseball community he served. His legacy and vision, however, will live on through the best amateur baseball camp in America.
CAMP SPONSORS
Amateur Baseball Umpires Association
Collegiate Baseball Umpires Alliance
Honig’s Whistle Stop
Indianapolis Umpires Association
Michigan High School Athletic Association
CAMP QUESTIONS
Doug Wabeke, GRCC
616-234-4270
dwabeke@grcc.edu
CAMP INFORMATION
FEBRUARY 2-4, 2007
Tuition: $225
Hotel
- Rooms will be available at the Days Inn Downtown in Grand Rapids.
- The special camp rate is $70 per night.
- Cost of the room may be shared with a roommate.
Registration
Students should arrive at the Days Inn Downtown on Friday, February 2. Registration will take place between 1:00-3:00 PM.
Equipment / Dress
All campers should wear their umpire uniform during the Saturday and Sunday sessions. Umpires should also bring their plate equipment. Honig’s Whistle Stop will be on site selling equipment on Saturday.
CAMP STAFF
Instructors at this camp bring more than 300 years of umpiring at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. More importantly, they are dedicated to making YOU a stronger umpire and helping YOU reach your officiating goals. The staff will not waste your time with “war stories”.
The camp is directed by Rich Fetchiet, Supervisor of the Collegiate Baseball Umpires Alliance; Dick Runchey, Chairman of the Amateur Baseball Umpires Association and Chairman of the Umpire Commission of the International Baseball Federation; and Doug Wabeke, Athletic Director and former Baseball Coach at Grand Rapids Community College.
In addition, the camp instructors also include two members of the National Federation Baseball Rules Committee. Kyle McNeely of Ohio will begin a 4-year term as chairman of the committee in 2007 and Mark Uyl, Assistant Director of the MHSAA, a member of the committee. This illustrates that the focus of this camp is for HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL umpires, and these two current members of the NFHS Baseball Rules committee will provide outstanding classroom instruction on high school rules and mechanics.
To guarantee your spot, complete and return the registration form and $100 deposit immediately.
CAMP BENEFITS
- Individualized, videotaped plate work
- Live two-man mechanic base work
- Situation / people management
- NFHS rules & mechanics instruction
- 2007 MHSAA Rules Meeting
- 2007 ABUA Membership
- Two camp t-shirts
- Continental breakfast each day & lunch on Saturday
- 10% discount on Honig’s purchases
Women’s World Cup of Baseball Championship
by Perry Barber
Umpiring the Women's World Cup of Baseball Championships in Taipei last August was a great experience not only for the opportunity to work with umpires from other countries, but also the fun of seeing young girls play the game usually considered the exclusive province of boys and men. Seven countries were represented at the tournament - USA, Australia, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Cuba, and Taiwan - and an umpire from each participant country was selected by USA Baseball for officiating duties. As the umpire representing the United States, I was not permitted to work games in which the USA team played. Similar restrictions applied to all the umpires except the seven Taiwanese gentlemen whose on-field ubiquity was unavoidable since we worked a four-umpire system, and excluding them from any Taiwan games would have been a logistical impossibility.
Working with umpires who spoke three, sometimes four different languages per crew was a challenge, to say the least, but we rose to it with enthusiasm and respect for each other. Having some very adept translators around helped a lot too, especially during on-field discussions with managers. We umpires became a tight group, and the Taiwanese umps proved very skilled and gracious hosts. On nights when those of us who had the energy went out for dinner or drinks, our Taiwanese compatriots seldom allowed us to pay for anything, and they knew all the good places to eat and have fun. We spent a memorable evening at one of the storied night markets, where dozens of vendors who stay open until the wee hours of the morning have stalls and storefronts set up for blocks and blocks featuring clothes, trinkets, and apothecaria. I gave a crowd of locals a huge laugh when I walked up to a vendor selling snake oil - they harvest it from these huge dead snakes they have hanging on hooks from the ceilings, often with live ones slithering around the floors of the stalls as well - and asked him for a glass of the bile. He handed it to me and I chugged it right down! The snake juice was mixed with alcohol so it tasted a little like wine and was not unpleasant at all.
Taipei itself was an interesting city both geographically and culturally. It seems to have been built haphazardly, with few zoning sensibilities of the kind American city-dwellers are used to. Imposing Buddhist temples stand vigil over catacombs of back alleys housing mom-and-pop businesses and unassuming family dwellings. Modest residential areas intertwine with rows of high-fashion stores like Fendi, Bulgari, Dunhill, and Ralph Lauren. It was also interesting and somewhat alarming to see how western culture has invaded the east; there were at least one McDonald's and one 7-11 convenience store literally every three blocks in the section of town in which we were housed. Baseball is big business in Taiwan; the professional league over there is very popular, but the local umpires told us it has been riddled with bribery scandals the last few years, which is practically unheard of in the United States. Of course, we were closely observed and evaluated by members of the International Baseball Federation in attendance as well as by our fearless leader, Dick Runchey, who offered us great constructive criticism and invaluable insight into our on-field performances. It looked like Japan was going to obliterate the competition early on - they had a couple of pitchers who were clocked consistently in the low seventies and an offense that shut out the competition by scores of 9 to nothing, 43 to nothing, and 15 to nothing the first three days - but they faded down the stretch and USA held steady to win the Gold on the final day of the tournament in an extra-inning nail-biter that was plate-umpired superbly by Lisa Turbitt, representing Canada.
All in all, an extremely rewarding and fabulous time was had by all, umpires and teams alike, and I am so grateful for having had the opportunity to reach out and share my love for baseball with umpires from different cultures and countries. Baseball at the 2006 Women's World Cup in Taipei truly transcended the barriers of language, geography, and gender. Its lexicon there was one of physical and spiritual enlightenment that needed no translation, brooked no discrimination, and knew no boundaries.
ABUA-Honig’s Special Offer!
Honig’s K1 PRO-ELITE black chest protector with mesh back. 
Head into the 2007 season with a new Honig’s PRO-ELITE chest protector featuring our comfortable, form-fitting mesh back harness. This lightweight professional-level protector features rigid HD-80 plates to reduce weight while still providing the protection you require. Black version only. Regular price $149.95. SPECIAL PRICE FOR ABUA MEMBERS ONLY: $131.95.
Offer good for a limited time.
And don’t forget, ABUA members get 10% off baseball items EVERY day from Honig’s! To order, call 800/468-3284.