Eastern Idaho to welcome ‘coveted’ event for softball umpires
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AMMON — A “once-in-a-lifetime” event dedicated to softball umpires is coming to eastern Idaho this weekend.
The USA Softball National Umpire School, a training for new and seasoned umpires, will take place Feb. 17 to 19 at Hillcrest High School. A meet-and-greet will be held on day one from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday’s training will be from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime type of thing,” Randy Homer, organizer and local district umpire in chief for USA Softball said. “We’ve never done it here before. … It’s something that’s coveted. … Southeast Idaho is not a big place, so it generally goes to the bigger towns.”
Idaho is in Region 9, along with Utah, Montana, Alaska, Oregon and Washington. So far, 100 umpires are signed up to participate.
“They haven’t had an umpire school this big in three years,” Homer mentioned.
There will be youth and adults at the training. They will be split into four different groups based on how long each person has umpired.
“It’s the perfect way to come into something,” he said. “You’d be surrounded with people in the same category. If you’re new, there will be other people that are new learning the same things.”
Homer said it took about three to four years of trying to get this event to eastern Idaho. He’s looking forward to the students learning what will be taught.
“(We’re) getting in a room with the rulebooks. We’ve got a bunch of different lectures … plate-stance stuff with pitchers,” he said. “We have a bunch of local pitchers and catchers coming to throw pitches so we can teach umpires judgment skills.”
Along with local help, trainers from around the country will be in attendance to help teach.
“The trainers that are coming are the best of the best,” he said.
Homer added this training will be beneficial for people who want to stay local and umpire, as well as those who want to umpire games outside of Idaho.
“This is an opportunity to come and meet the big-time people that will get you to those (higher) places,” Homer said. “I always tell people if you want to stay local we’ll teach you how to enjoy softball umpiring, but if you want to go to (other) places and go to high-level games, we’ll do our best to get you there.”
There is supposed to be an instructor for every 25 students. With the event quickly approaching, Homer said to call him at (208) 569-1430 if you’re interested in registering.
“If people were serious about it and wanted to come and do it and learn, we would find a way to get them in,” Homer said.