While many teens were scouring for jobs this summer, a group of Deerfield teens found themselves right behind home.
Home plate that is.
The Deerfield Youth Baseball and Softball Association (DYBA) has been using teen umpires since the program began over 40 years ago.
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“It is great opportunity for kids to make some money and learn about themselves and baseball,” DYBA Secretary Tom Shapira said.
The umpire program is open to kids over 11. They go through a series of meeting in January with and without their parents explaining in the program in detail. There is then a weekend of intensive training. Those who successfully compete the program can expect to earn $16 to start and most umpires work about 20-30 games in a year. They work games in levels at least two years younger than the umpire’s age.
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Currently there are between 90-100 local youths between the age of 11 and 18 umpiring in DYBA. The program is now administered by Victor Rudo, who began umpiring at the age of 11. Now 21 and a finance and accounting major at Emory University in Atlanta, Rudo is in his second year in administering the program.
“It really is a great program,” Rudo said. “We spend a lot of time training and teaching the rules of the game to our umpires. We also teach them how to manage a game, which is the hardest thing to teach.
We tell them that the second you see something out of place, go take care of it. When you are in control of game, you alleviate bigger problems.”
Rudo says that there is no way an umpire can go through a game without making some mistakes. And he explains that to his group all the time.
“You never are going to have a perfect game,” Rudo said. “Coaches want guys who know the rules, hustle, get in good position and have a good attitude and effort.”
Rudo does not think coaches or parents are hard on his young umpires. “The first thing we tell them is that in Deerfield, people are generally well behaved,” he said. “We also tell them don’t look for problems.”
Jonathon Brown, who at 12 is in his second year as an umpire, agrees that the coaches and parents are very good in Deerfield. “They treat us very well and with respect,” he said. “They are all very supportive.”
Brown has been very happy with his experience. When he heard about the program two years ago, he immediately began to practice in his basement with his brother Matthew, calling out balls and strikes as Matthew would pitch.
“I really love doing this,” Brown said. “And I have made a lot of money too.”
Rudo says while making money and learning about baseball is important, there are other lessons as well.
“We really spend a lot of our time talking about skills, dealing with people,” Rudo said. “If you have good communication skills you can go anywhere. Maybe that’s the bigger picture and that’s the attitude we like to have.”
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