The umpire certification seminar attendees listen to ISF Director of Umpires Merle Butler (standing, top left).

WORLD HEADQUARTERS HOSTING UMPIRES
2007-02-21

For five days beginning this morning, the International Softball Federation’s (ISF) world headquarters complex in Plant City, Florida, will be the center of the umpiring world, so to speak.

Almost two dozen umpires seeking to gain their certification that would allow them to work in ISF events will participate today through Saturday in a fast pitch seminar at the world governing body’s facility. On Sunday the site will host a meeting of the ISF’s Regional Umpire Coordinators – a combined eleven men and women from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Oceania.

Those participating in the umpire certification seminar have come from the Bahamas, Bermuda, Dominican Republic, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Spain, and USA. By the time they return to their Plant City hotel room Saturday night they’ll know if they will be heading home as a new ISF certified umpire or not. (ISF certification allows an umpire to work in events such as, but not limited to, the Olympics, Olympic qualifiers, world championships, and multi-sport games.)

The attendees must score 90% or higher to gain their certification. Their score is derived as follows:

• a 100-question exam (30% of their grade)
• case play (done in the ISF conference facility) (5%)
• mechanics (done in the ISF conference facility) (5%)
• live pitching (pitching machine) (done in the batting cages adjacent to the ISF administration building) (10%)
• game evaluations (during a collegiate tournament being played on Saturday on the Randy L. Larson Softball Fourplex on the grounds of the ISF headquarters complex) (50%)

Interviewed at the ISF office yesterday, Bob Stanton (Canada), who was appointed ISF Deputy Director of Umpires in December, said, “This (umpire certification) system is in its tenth year or so. As a result, more people are becoming exposed to it, so it’s becoming better and better.”

Sitting alongside him was ISF Director of Umpires Merle Butler (USA), who added, “For consistency – in terms of numbers (participation) – we’re going to make a recommendation for one certification clinic every three years in each region. This will also allow time in between for pre-certification (preparation).” Mr. Butler added that under that proposal, umpires could go to a seminar in a region other than their own if they didn’t want to wait.

The Regional Umpire Coordinators will observe during Thursday’s and Friday’s proceedings and then do evaluations on Saturday while the seminar’s participants work the games. An all-day meeting led by Mr. Butler and Mr. Stanton is scheduled for Sunday with the Regional Coordinators going through a planning session covering items such as changes they want to see happen, getting them involved with those transitions, encouraging more female umpires, reviewing & updating umpire training aids, and preparing for the Umpires Commission meeting at the ISF Congress later this year in the Philippines (late October). Mike Jennings (Great Britain) is the Chair of the Umpires Commission and will be on-hand this weekend as well.

The Regional Umpire Coordinators coming to Plant City are:

AFRICA – Vincent Maoeng (South Africa)
ASIA – Tommy Wang (Chinese Taipei)
EUROPE – Bob Milosavljevic (Croatia)
LATIN AMERICA – Julio Hellburg (Netherlands Antilles) & (Assistant) Santos Vázquez (Puerto Rico)
NORTH AMERICA – Julie Johnson (USA)
OCEANIA – Margo Koskelainen (Australia)
AT-LARGE – Marlies Struyve (Netherlands)