Friday, January 20, 2006

Message from the Prez
It's Time!

By Rich Johnson
President

It is that time of year again. It is time to begin conditioning our minds and bodies for the 2006 baseball season. For NBUA, the season starts with the General Meeting on Jan. 24 at Bellevue Community College. This will be your first opportunity to learn about some significant organizational changes currently underway. Through a strategic planning process the Board of Directors identified strategic areas and specific objectives within each area. The goals and objectives were then incorporated into committee charters/direction statements. Some of the things you will hear about at the meeting include the member service agreement, minimum age requirements, and customer contract negotiations.

It's time to start training. The first training class for new members is Jan. 28 at Eastside Catholic, with training for all tiers starting February 1. The Training Staff has been working hard to prepare. This year we are committed to "Make Every Minute Count." In order to be successful each of you must do your part. If you haven't already, start getting in shape now.   Run, jog, walk, jumping jacks, knee-bends, stretching...  

You must get your mind in shape as well. Start reading your rule book tonight! Read 5 or 10 pages a night and you will be way ahead. We intend on providing session outlines or subject matter in advance. So you should read the appropriate sections in the rules to prepare for the training. Do it now and you will have a better season.

Finally, it is time to have some fun!  If you are not a member of this association because you really enjoy being on the baseball field, ignore all of the above. It won't do any good. If you want to umpire for NBUA you must have passion for the game and youth baseball. Without it, you will not meet our standards for performance or the expectations of our valuable customers.

It is time to PLAY BALL!