Young umpires help keep Shakespeare ball games running

Brothers Blaine and Miller Follings are two of the young umpires who helped officiate baseball games in Shakespeare this season. Both play the game themselves and have taken umpire courses to develop the skills needed to officiate on the diamond. Contributed photo

By Gary West

While players and coaches often get much of the attention on the baseball diamond, there is another group essential to every game – the umpires.

For the Shakespeare Community Athletic Association (SCAA), finding enough umpires to cover games at all age levels can sometimes be a challenge.

Older teams require experienced umpires who have taken the necessary courses and developed a strong understanding of the rules and regulations of the game. For younger divisions, however, umpiring provides local youth with an opportunity to learn those same skills and gain valuable experience.

After completing umpire training, young officials can begin working games involving younger players before progressing to older age groups as their knowledge, confidence and experience grow.

This season, the SCAA is recognizing 24 umpires who helped keep baseball games running in Shakespeare.

They are Julia Glitz, Annalise Glaab, Teagan Glaab, Emma McCauley, Benson Hodgson, Kegan Hodgson, Nash Follings, Blaine Follings, Miller Follings, Parker Blitz, Tyler Reis, Max Hughes, Zak Hughes, Keaton Bell, Elliott Peters, Nash Wynette, Simon Carter, Ryan Scheerer, Alex Davidson, Coen Smid, Bennett Lichti, Cole Parish, Dakota Maue and Terran McCall.

The SCAA thanks all of its umpires for stepping up throughout the season and ensuring games could be properly officiated.

For young people interested in baseball, umpiring also offers an opportunity to see the game from a different perspective, develop responsibility and confidence, and earn some spending money along the way.