The North Central Alberta Baseball League and Baseball Alberta are putting the call out for umpires.
Despite the fact that all of the local umpire clinics have ended and the 2016 season is now underway, on Wednesday, May 11, Baseball Alberta program &communications coordinator Brad Wolansky said there is a shortage of umpires all across the province, not just in the Barrhead area.
“The closest umpire we can get for a game in Barrhead has to come out of Spruce Grove or St. Albert most of the time, so travel expenses are incurred by the league whenever we have to do that, to get a certified umpire for all of the different levels of baseball and in my opinion, it only makes sense for the community to have someone who can do those kinds of things already in place,” he said.
“With baseball continuing to grow, the discrepancy between the want and the need is getting worse,” Wolansky said, adding if people are willing to put time into it, umpiring can be very beneficial.
Umpiring, he said, combines the best of both worlds — whether you are a player or a spectator, umpiring allows you to watch and participate in a critical process, and it puts money in your pocket too.
“With the shortage of umpires that we have, it is always beneficial, no matter what, to have a new person join and continue on with it,” he said.
Umpire clinics are typically one day events, beginning with Level One, teach the basics of umpiring baseball, Wolansky said, adding each level requires two such courses spread over a two year period.
“It takes some time to get to the AAA level, but when you have house league baseball in the area, by all means, it is good to have somebody with at the very least, the entry level course under their belts,” he said.
Anyone interested in doing so, or with questions or concerns, is to contact Wolansky at (780) 427-9009.
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