Sunday, January 24, 2010

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 2010 baseball season. For NBUA, the season starts with the General Meeting on Jan. 26 at the Mercer Island community Center. This will be your first opportunity to get together with fellow umpires and learn about what is new and exciting for the 2010 season. Some of the things you will hear about at the meeting include the 2010 Member Service Agreement, association finances, the 2010 training and evaluations programs and other important information.

It's time to start training. The first training class for new members is February 4th at the Mercer Island Community Center. The Training Staff has been working hard to prepare. We are committed to make the best use of your time in training.  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!