The North Shore Baseball Umpires Association is opening its arms to new members for the upcoming spring season. Those interested in joining the organization and umpiring a wide range of baseball games are encouraged to sign up for the association’s training classes, which begin January 6.
“When you finish the class it makes you a member of the organization,” former NSBUA President Dick Newton (2009-2013) said. “It allows you to umpire games. You can do anywhere from Little League games, to AAU, to freshman, JV and varsity games in high school. There are plenty of opportunities for those who want to do games and gain experience. There’s plenty of opportunity to umpire games.”
Current NSBUA President Joe Gill, who was appointed in 2018, agreed.
“It opens up several opportunities to get involved at any level of baseball,” Gill said. “Whether you’re new to the game or have been around it for years, we have games that fit your skill set. From youth games, to high school games and adult games, the NSBUA’s new umpire course will prepare you to take the field with confidence.”
The course is taught by NSBUA Interpreter Steve Carroll, with Newton’s assistance.
“Steve’s been an umpire for 35 years,” Newton said. “He rose in the ranks. He’s done Division I college games. He does games from college to AAU stuff. If you want to learn and you want to advance, there are a lot of guys who worked hard, learned it and advanced. There are great opportunities at the college ranks.
“Steve offers advice to everybody. He teaches the class as a general course. On the field is where you really learn but he gives you a basic set of decor — how to dress, how to control the game. Steve’s a great guy to learn from. He offers advice to even veteran umpires.”
The classes run once a week from January 6 through February 24 at Essex Tech in Danvers. Cost for the classes is $100 (one-time fee), which includes the course, all written materials, a rulebook and the certification exam. The exam date is March 2. A successfully completed Massachusetts CORI certification is required.
“We’re looking for anybody who wants to be involved with baseball,” Gill said. “Whether you’re looking for a part-time officiating job or you’re a coach looking to gain a better knowledge of the rules, this class is great to help you take that next step.”
Newton said the organizations welcomes those of all ages and backgrounds.
“We bring in anywhere from kids who just graduated high school to guys in their 50s and 60s,” Newton said. “A lot of the older guys come in because they want to do Little League games. Some of them stopped coaching and want to stay involved. A lot of the younger guys, we look for them to be reliable and dependable. They can do as many or as few games as they want. It’s a great part-time job.”
