1. Where do you stand on the discussion, process and implementation of a mandatory 1.5 game fee for 1-man games?

Mike Owsiak: I am in favor of further discussions to increase the game fees for 1 umpire games based on the increased challenges in working these games and, therefore, the additional training, required fitness, and experience needed to work 1 umpire games. Rather than focus on a hard and fast fee rule as referenced in the question, I would assess and improve our 1 umpire training, further coordinate 1 umpire assignments with members who are willing and able to work these games, further segment our customers’ demands for these games (e.g., requesting 1 umpire only versus only having 1 umpire available), and clarify with our customers the experience in using 1 umpire versus 2 umpires. In looking at all of these aspects, we would be able to make the case to our customers when it is appropriate for 1 umpire games and establish higher 1 umpire game fees.

Jeffry Borgida: I am philosophically in support of any effort to increase our game fees. I am under the assumption that each of our customers have negotiated contracts that include compensation. I support our negotiating position of a 1.5 game fee (if not more) for 1-man games, but this must be done within the framework of a comprehensive contract negotiation.

Brian Tschumper: To start with, NBUA should strive to never have solo umpires on games our customers have agreed need multiple umpires. If NBUA needs to drop to a solo umpire, I support an increase to that solo umpire fee. While I support an increase, I have not been privy to discussions or data that states 1.5x is the right number. I’d like to review the data before agreeing 1.5x is the right number.

Peyton Coffin: Umpires currently earn about $16 more per game when working solo. I would like to see that increased. Contracts are negotiated with each league and prices are set at that time. As far as school ball goes, the WIAA sets game fees and NBUA has little input other than putting pressure on WOA to negotiate on our behalf.

If you have a request such as a suggested fee increase, or any other matter necessitating board discussion, it’s best to submit such a request to the NBUA president and he will add it to the agenda of the next board meeting. If the matter is urgent, he can poll the members.

Henry VonJouanne: As one who believes the game fees, including one-man game fees, are generally too low, I support improving game fees for one-man games. In 2024, our games fees allocated a fixed $16 more for a one-man game, which amounts to an approximate 20% difference in the game fee. In 2024, we increased our game fees by an average of approximately 9%. Our customers accepted these increased game fees without objection. As such, I believe we should propose larger increases in our one-man game fees and see if our customers accept these increased one-man fees.

Brian Sweet: All members of NBUA have been keenly aware of the ongoing umpire shortage, I’ll skip the shortage issue and go to the question. I believe that our members should received extra compensation when they perform a 1-man game. No one would argue that having 2 umpires (sometimes 3) provides a better officiated game. Every member who finds themselves working solo, myself included, goes into the game knowing it is going to take extra effort both physically and mentally to work a 1-man game. I’m proud of all our NBUA members because every one of you walk onto the field and give that effort willingly without additional compensation.

While I know more compensation is due our members, I believe more discussion and thought is needed before making “mandatory” 1-man games game fees be 1.5 the 2-man game fee. Where NBUA can, we should negotiate higher games fees for 1-man games. As our contracts expire, a higher fee for 1-man games should be part of our negotiations position and should be discussed with our customers. In my career as a construction manager, I’ve spent a large amount of time in negotiations. In my preparation, I always consider the upside and the downside when working toward an agreement. For 1-man games, higher fees are the upside and our members get more money! A potential downside? – our clients may have a higher expectation of our members because they are getting paid more. In my view, our members already are living this downside and put forth the extra effort required when working 1-man games because everyone on you take pride doing your best. As a member of your board, I’ll work to implement the upside and higher game fees for your efforts.

2. Where do you stand on allowing previously expelled members for cause to rejoin the association?

Mike Owsiak: It depends on the facts and circumstances surrounding the expulsion. Facts and circumstances can include the nature of the actions (e.g., physical altercation, verbal altercation, game rules disregarded consistently), considerations for local laws, considerations for personal safety of players and coaches. The finality of an expulsion is a serious decision. There should be a process with a high bar to overcome to achieve reinstatement. I am in favor of revisiting both expulsion and reinstatement processes and ownership.

Jeffry Borgida: Permanent expulsion (a Death Penalty) should be a punishment of last resort. I do not know if the association has a progressive discipline policy, but if not, I recommend that we implement one. Hopefully, such a policy would allow violators to correct their behavior and provide them a set of expectations so that they can appropriately represent themselves and the association, thus preventing a situation that might result in an expulsion.

In lieu of an existing policy, I believe that each specific situation would need to be evaluated and reviewed at the board. The specific set of circumstances surrounding the expulsion, any previous issues and/or performance, subsequent training, acceptance of accountability and responsibility for the behavior and/or performance, and an apology would all need to be considered. I think each case would need to be evaluated on its merits and do not believe we should have a broad policy that either permits or never allows a return.

Brian Tschumper: NBUA works best as an organization when we have a body of umpires that reflect the standards of the association. If a past member has been expelled for cause, then there should be a high bar to consider whether those individuals should be part of NBUA again. I have seen in the corporate world that individuals let go for cause have successfully been re-integrated into the same company. Most of these cases have had some moratorium before reconsideration (say 5 years), allowing both the individual and the organization to mature before assessing working together again.

Peyton Coffin: If a previous member has not been invited to re-apply for membership or was expelled for cause, they are welcome to apply for membership to the NBUA president. He will then ask the board members to approve or reject the application. While I am in favor of reinstating a former member, my personal stance would depend on the individual situation so I cannot make a blanket statement. NBUA’s Policies and Procedures reads, in part:

“17.4 Expelled: Due to disciplinary action, the Member has been expelled from the Association. NBUA will refund fees if required by WOA. If an expelled official petitions to return to NBUA in the future, and that request is granted by a majority vote of the Board of Directors, they are subject to training, certification, exams, and all other MGS requirements. Upon completion of the above, the umpire will be evaluated and assigned a tier level by the Evaluations Director bearing in mind that the any former tier level is not guaranteed.”

Henry VonJouanne: I support the NBUA Policies and Procedures which specifically allow for members who have been previously expelled for cause to petition to return to the NBUA. The NBUA Policies and Procedures section 17.4 addresses this situation (excerpt below).

17.4 Expelled: Due to disciplinary action, the Member has been expelled from the Association. NBUA will refund fees if required by WOA. If an expelled official petitions to return to NBUA in the future, and that request is granted by a majority vote of the Board of Directors, they are subject to training, certification, exams, and all other MGS** requirements. Upon completion of the above, the umpire will be evaluated and assigned a tier level by the Evaluations Director bearing in mind that the former tier level is not guaranteed.

** Member in Good Standing. A petition to return to the NBUA can be in the form of an e-mail to a board member.

Brian Sweet: Taking the step of expelling a member is not done lightly by the board. This step is only taken after either repeated incident and offenses which are contrary to our policies and by-laws or on the very rare occasion the result of a very serious single incident.

So, would I allow a previously expelled member to rejoin NBUA? In my 18 years with NBUA, I’m not personally aware of any previous expelled member who has rejoined NBUA, but I do have experience with members who after performance issues, arguments with assignors and/or board members over assignments, policies, etc. have left NBUA “by mutual agreement” and returned to NBUA a few years later. My experience with these former members is they’ve eventually continued where they left off. After a “honeymoon” period, they’ve fallen back to their old habits which lead to their leaving NBUA again by “mutual agreement”. In summary, the reintroduction of former members who left NBUA under less than ideal circumstances has been unsuccessful and should be considered cautiously.

In summary and based on my experience as member of NBUA since 2007 and a member of your board since 2022, I would be EXTREMELTY CAUTIOUS before I would consider allowing a previous expelled (fired for cause) member to rejoin.

3. What, if any, suspensions should the NBUA implement for players/coaches in contests we umpire?

Mike Owsiak: We should be mindful of our role, which isn’t league administration, and instead, leverage our training, lean on relationships with league administrators, and implement safeguards to handle player and coach discipline. For non-school ball, I am open to working with leagues on additional measures to bring player and coach behavior in alignment with game rules. For example, I would consider requesting league directors or tournament directors to be present at fields, assigning more experienced umpires to games, moving toward 3-man crews for games, prohibiting 1-man crews for games, or in times of limited umpires deprioritizing their games for umpire assignments. For training, I am interested in presenting more options to membership to manage conflict and to de-escalate the situation. Lastly, I am interested in exploring options like body cameras for these games and passing the technology cost to the leagues. End of the day, nobody enjoys a game where player and coach conduct is not in line with the agreed upon rules, so we must work with the leagues and use our toolkit to address the behavior.

Jeffry Borgida: Similar to the aforementioned pay question, this is something that would need to be negotiated as part of our contracts with our customers. I suspect that this may prove to be problematic, especially at the High School level as we are governed by the NFHS rule book. There is an allowance for local rules and again this would need to be negotiated. For our summer ball and adult leagues, I would be in support of a negotiating position that includes potential suspensions.

In lieu of a policy, I would rather see us engage in some meaningful dialogue with league leadership regarding the situation and offender. I would expect that we have established a level of trust and respect between leadership groups that would allow for a conversation to address the particular situation and arrive at a consensus on potential consequences. The leagues and the NBUA should work together with a foundation of mutual respect and an expectation of appropriate behavior. We should each agree that a violation should carry consequence and trust that either side will handle the situation appropriately.

Brian Tschumper: Since players/coaches are governed by the association (e.g., WIAA, Seattle Elite, PIL) they are a member of, members of NBUA can only enforce the ejection by the rules of the game and allow their league to enforce the actions. The suspensions and penalties vary across leagues today and it would be hard to enforce consistency. I support that NBUA evaluates during contract negotiations there be clear guidelines established in the leagues for suspensions of players / coaches. If absent or does not meet NBUA’s bar, then NBUA should require modification before a contract is signed. Any subsequent year’s contract renewal should assess how well they upheld their suspension policies and where not upheld strongly consider whether NBUA renews their contract.

Peyton Coffin: The NBUA is contracted to provide a service and, as such, has no direct control over any of our customer’s — a league’s — policies, employees, players or contracted personnel. NBUA can make suggestions of the league that implementation of a penalty clause in their agreements would be beneficial, but memorializing such is at the discretion of the league or tournament directors. Such suggestions have been well received in the past, some being implemented.

A few years ago, recognizing that we had to have an explicit policy and procedure to protect our members, I suggested such to the board and I wrote the following addendum to NBUA’s P & P’s. It was approved unanimously. NBUA’s Policies and Procedures reads, in part:

“14.8 In the event flagrant and/or abusive improper conduct is reported, especially as it is directed toward officials, or flagrant unsporting conduct is directed at opponents, concerning a league, team, spectators, coaches and/or participants and such a report is substantiated to the satisfaction of the President, the President shall poll the Directors and if a majority support a suspension of services to that league or team, such suspension shall take place immediately for such a time as the President shall decide. In lieu of immediate suspension of services, the President may elect to warn the offending entity. Such suspension or warning may be delivered by email, copy of such retained, and may be reiterated telephonically or by text message.

· The entity receiving such a warning or suspension may have such rescinded by pledging to the satisfaction of the President that proper and immediate steps will be taken to prevent a recurrence. Failure to adhere to such a pledge shall result in a further suspension of service.”

Henry VonJouanne: The NBUA has the responsibility to manage the conduct of our officials, and sanction an official, if warranted, for improper behavior. Likewise, I believe the leagues should have the responsibility to manage the conduct of their coaches, players, and fans, and sanction, if warranted, for improper behavior.

The NBUA does have the authority to address flagrant or abusive improper conduct through the use of suspension of services, or a warning of suspension of services (refer to the Policies and Procedures section 14.8 – excerpt below)

14.8 In the event flagrant and/or abusive improper conduct is reported, especially as it is directed toward officials, or flagrant unsporting conduct is directed at opponents, concerning a league, team, spectators, coaches and/or participants and such a report is substantiated to the satisfaction of the President, the President shall poll the Directors and if a majority support a suspension of services to that league or team, such suspension shall take place immediately for such a time as the President shall decide. In lieu of immediate suspension of services, the President may elect to warn the offending entity. Such suspension or warning may be delivered by email, copy of such retained, and may be reiterated telephonically or by text message.

The NBUA has successfully used this policy to address improper behavior of teams or individuals. In addition, the NBUA monitors the incident reports to assess if flagrant or abusive improper conduct warrants a suspension, or warning of suspension.

Brian Sweet: While members, including myself would enjoy the ability to “suspend” a coach or player and never have to deal with that person again, simply stated NBUA does not have the ability or authority to suspend any coach or player from future contests NBUA umpires officiate. This authority lies entirely with the league or association the team/player participates with. As members of NBUA, our authority as umpires is limited to officiating the game and when warranted by their conduct eject a coach or player and report that ejection to NBUA.

However, this does not mean that NBUA has no influence with the associated league. What NBUA can and does do to support its members is provide detailed and factual information to the leagues when a pattern of poor behavior is noted or observed. Through our ejection reports and feedback from our assignor, NBUA’s board of directors can and does engage with our customers when these situations occur.

As a member of your board of directors, I will continue to represent these types of concerns to the board and our clients.

Brian Sweet

2024 marks the end of my first term as a member of our NBUA Board of Directors. I’ve truly enjoyed being able to serve our membership these past two years and with your vote, I would be honored to serve another two. In the two years, it’s been my privilege to serve as the Director of Training and also member of the Evaluation Committee. As Director of Training, I’m proud of the improvements we’ve made to our training program including the use of live scrimmages for our field work and the opportunities we’ve added for live 3-man training for all tier levels.

As a member of the NBUA Board, I truly have listened to the membership when approached with ideas or concerns. I will continue to do so for the next two years. As a member of your Board of Directors, it is my goal to continue to work and help recruit and retain new umpires to improve our numbers and seek ideas to improve our already top tier training program.

Brian Tschumper

I am honored to be part of this incredible association—a place where I have had the privilege to hone my umpiring craft. My journey began as an apprentice in 2015, and over the years, it has led me to the tournament tier. Along the way, I have built lasting friendships and learned invaluable lessons from the talented umpires within our organization.

Serving on the NBUA Board of Directors is my way of giving back to an association that has enriched my life. I firmly believe in the power of collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement. If entrusted with this role, I pledge to advocate for our umpires, promote professional development, and uphold the integrity of our beloved game. While I am not currently a board member, I have actively contributed to the association in various capacities:

1. Since 2018, I have been a dedicated member of the Training Committee.
2. Since 2020, I have served on the Technical Committee.
3. Since 2022, I have been part of the Evaluation Committee.

During the challenging times of the pandemic, I played a critical role in transitioning our training programs from offline to online formats. This adaptation allowed us to maintain excellence and provide the best training experience for our membership. Additionally, for the last few years, I’ve been the co-training lead (with Bill Fitzgerald) for our apprentice and C-tier umpires, establishing a solid foundation for our newest NBUA members. This experience has reinforced my commitment to nurturing the growth of our umpiring community.

Beyond the NBUA, my career path has led me to senior leadership positions at both Microsoft (approximately 19 years) and Amazon (approximately 12 years). Managing diverse teams of over 150 people, I have gained valuable experiences and skills that I believe will benefit the NBUA. As a board member, I will consider critical topics such as customer needs, membership evaluations, compensation, training, and long-term planning. My passion for the NBUA centers on our collective growth. In the coming years, I see two key areas of focus:

1. Effective Membership: We must ensure a cohesive and functional organization to serve our members well.
2. Effective Training: Our umpires are our product, and continuous improvement in our training program is essential. I aim to tailor our training to meet the diverse needs of umpires, from rookies to seasoned veterans.

I am committed to listening, acting, and driving positive change. Let’s maximize the value we provide to our customers and continue making each other better.

Henry Von Jouanne

I am honored to be considered again for an NBUA Board of Director position.  I have completed three terms – six years – as a board member and I am eager to continue serving for another term.
As a board member, I served as the Director of Training, the Chair of the Bylaws, Policies & Procedures Committee, and most recently as President of the Association.  My time as an NBUA umpire and board member has confirmed a few realities:

.         The NBUA is a great organization – filled with great people.  I am proud of our members and the quality of the product we place on the field.
·         We have a great Training program that leverages on the great umpiring talent we have available and strongly supports the quality of the product we place on the field.
·         As an NBUA official, I take great pride in knowing four things about my partner:  1) my partner loves the game, 2) my partner loves to officiate, 3) my partner wants to be there, and 4) my partner wants to get better. 

My primary goal as a Board Member is simple:  to fully and enthusiastically support the NBUA mission.  That is, “We deliver the highest quality service to our customers by umpiring all games to the best of our ability and with fairness to all participants via state of the art training and evaluation and demonstrated examples of inclusion.”   The NBUA has – in my opinion – always separated itself with a strong training program – so I believe our excellence and “highest quality” starts with training – and supports the quality of the product we place on the field. 

As President, I’ve experienced first-hand how the quality of our product has significantly increased the demand for our services.  We recently increased our coverage for the Pacific International League (PIL) and the Puget Sound Senior Baseball League (PSSBL).  And the High Schools have more teams than ever when accounting for the Varsity and various sub-Varsity levels.  So it’s easy to be happy about our success.

But our success leads directly to some of our primary challenges.  We are often over-extended as an organization.  We have had turn-away games, and we have used umpires from other regions to cover busy weekends.  A primary objective of the next board should include improving recruiting and retention.  This was the primary challenge identified at the Baseball breakout at last week’s Washington Officials Association conference.  The NBUA is in the same situation as most other baseball officiating associations – we need to grow our ranks.  I want to note that our Recruiting Chair – Brian Rooney – has done a great job with recruiting.  Every year, Brian brings our organization 20-to-30 new apprentices.  But our current size does not support the demand for our services.

Another point of emphasis for the board should be clearer communication on the path to promotion.  What does it take to get to the next tier?  I believe our organization is eager to promote our deserving umpires and I think we can better explain the process.

These are some of the areas for improvement as I look forward to another term as a member of the NBUA Board of Directors.  And if elected again, I pledge to continue as a strong advocate for the NBUA.  Thank you for your consideration.

Jeffrey Borgida

Hello Fellow Blue!!!
My name is Jeffry Borgida and I am a candidate for the NBUA Board of Directors. Following 10 years with the association (and 10 previous years in Softball and Little League), I thought it was time to give back to NBUA.

I am currently the Director of HR and Revenue Operations for a local mid-size manufacturer of electric heaters. I have previously worked for large companies across the US and have led teams as large as 750 people and was responsible for $85M P&L’s. I have previously served on 3 boards (North Bothell Little League, Bellevue YMCA, and Leadership Eastside) and was Board President for LE. I am now at a point in my life where I have the time and capacity to give back to organizations and causes that I value.

I have been impressed and have the utmost respect for the NBUA Board and what it has done for the organization during the past 10 years. We have seen our pay increase, our training improve, and our reputation grow. I do not come to the table with dramatic new ideas or a contrary vision for the organization. I will be an advocate for the continuity of the association and the continued growth and development of our programs. Even though we have experienced significant pay increases over the past few years, I still believe we are underpaid for the level of service that we provide. I would like to see us continue to improve our training program and identify ways to incorporate video into our training and feedback. Lastly, I would like to see us continue to expand our in season training and development so that we can increase our knowledge base through actual game experiences from our fellow umpires.

Our association is something special and it would be an honor and privilege to represent you.

Thank you.

Michael Owsiak

I joined NBUA in 2020 after umpiring in Wisconsin and Washington for several seasons. Since 2021, I have served on both NBUA’s Finance Committee and Recruiting and Retention Committee where I have reviewed association budgets or financials, developed recruiting materials, and enhanced NBUA’s new hire orientation presentation. 

I also volunteer for my local Little League – Queen Anne for two years and Mill Creek for one year – where I support recruiting, training, and development for new umpires and parent volunteers. I view this as a great recruiting tool for those interested in taking on higher level, paid games. Of course, I refer them to NBUA!

Outside of NBUA, I work as a Program Manager for an industry leader where I am responsible for taking new products from ideation to launch, including how to train over 30,000 sales reps on the product and how to work with customers. In addition, I run a small CPA practice providing accounting and tax services to individuals and businesses across the United States. This 15+ years of experience has taught me about running an organization, focusing on the customer experience, and navigating stakeholders with various requirements to get things done.

If elected, I would emphasize further improvements to member training and advocating for further increases in member pay. I would also keep a watchful eye on the emergence of body cameras as there are many questions the association needs to think through (e.g., who pays for the cameras, who owns the equipment, who owns the video content, how can the content be used) for the benefits of our members. I would appreciate the opportunity to join the NBUA Board and serve its members.

Peyton Coffin

I’d like to thank you for electing me to the NBUA Board of Directors and giving me the
opportunity to positively influence our progress.

I’m asking you to put your faith in me to continue, by voting for me in the upcoming election. I’ve had many jobs over the years, including 5 years as the Assistant Director of the Singapore National Parks Board (that was fun and a little intense), but this one you voted me into has been one of the most interesting and rewarding.

We now have a distinct procedure to handle any flagrant and/or abusive improper conduct directed toward our members, we have clarified our member status and the use of guest umpires, we’ve clarified assigning parameters and award proposals and cleaned up preseason jamboree games — with the dedicated involvement of our assignor. Just some of the proposals I have made that have been put in place.

I also added an incident report portal to our website that communicates any member reports, good or not-so-much, that are apart from ejections, to all board members. You report something, your board takes action. At the moment, one thing we’re focusing on is restroom and porta-potty facilities. I mean, we all have to take a lea… … priorities.

This is my 19th season with NBUA (and several with Little League – which we should give more credit to) and last year I was honored to receive NBUA’s highest honor: The Brian Gooch Distinguished Service Award. Thank you.

From my responsibilities in 2020 converting our training to virtual, to re-writing much of NBUA’s Policies and Procedures, including indexing them for ease of reference, it has been an opportunity I’ve enjoyed. Enjoyed because of you, my brethren umpires and friends. We support each other on the field and behind the scenes as well.

I ask for your vote to continue my efforts for you for the next two (+) years.

1. Board membership has remained largely unchanged for several years. What is your position on diversifying the board?

Terry Granillo – Pro! Who asked this? Run for the board next year!! We haven’t done a great job recruiting board candidates. We need to start the process early in the season to get people thinking about it early. We all work our butts off during the season just to cover games, and I can understand how taking on a board commitment on top of that can seem daunting. However this is a great organization, worthy of diligent stewardship by dedicated and committed members on the board of directors. I think taking a more intentional approach to identifying and opening an ongoing dialogue with potential candidates would be a good way to get to the point where we have some more choice in our candidates. Four candidates for four seats is not ideal.

Dale Wilson – Diversity is always the best option and with each board position a 2-year limit I believe this keeps it open for new members and diversity.

Brian Rooney – I am 100% in favor of diverse voices on the NBUA board. We all have different backgrounds and experiences that lend value to the association.

Thom Denholm – Membership of NBUA is not terribly diverse either, unfortunately. We should take some steps to encourage diversity in the membership first.

2. Verbal abuse from fans, coaches, and players continues to be a hot topic. What steps would you take to address such behavior?

Terry Granillo – This is, has been, and remains a training issue. It is also an ongoing point of emphasis with the WOA and WIAA. For players and coaches, we are the officials for the game. We need to focus and direct training on how to manage situations before they develop, as they develop, and after they’ve blown up despite our efforts. Training must be more focused on role playing in that regard. We already meet with Coaches and ADs annually to review rule changes, and we emphasize in those meetings the importance of and national emphasis on sportsmanship. We need to continue that. To emphasize to Head Coaches and Game Management (ADs) that they are ultimately responsible for policing the behavior of players, team personnel, and fans.

Dale Wilson – Over the last year we have been contacting Leage Leadership regarding any abuse or non-acceptable fan behavior. We have shared with the leaders of the leagues of issues and that reduction and canceling of service if violations continue. If elected I will continue to push this process.

Brian Rooney – We have addressed this topic with our clients and made them aware that we have a zero tolerance policy. During my time on the board, we have ended relationships with teams due to unacceptable behavior by fans and coaches.

Thom Denholm – Document abuses and then work with the individual leagues when they exceed a threshold, whether of repetition or of severity. Encourage our umpires to utilize the incident reports to that end. Remember, a lot of our games are recorded, officially and by fans. These can absolutely be used in our favor!

3. What would you think about treating Little League Umpires applying to the NBUA as transfers rather than simple apprentices? We know that most LL umpires are just dads with very little training but, recently, we have received applications from Little League umpires who have a great deal of training and experience, and it makes little sense to disregard that when we are in such desperate need of higher tier umpires.

Terry Granillo – We do consider such experience, on a case-by-case basis. Because so many LL umpires come in with something less than national tournament experience, and because not all national tournament experience in LL really prepares umpires for games with NBUA, we cannot treat LL umpires as transfers. NBUA has already in many cases considered such experience for active members in terms of promotion. All apprentices are evaluated in their first year, and exceptional umpires are recognized, as warranted, with tier-skipping promotion. LL experience, along with all experience, does come into consideration in that process. The Little League model is so unique, in particular the 12U model, that we cannot treat new umpires coming out of LL the same as HS Varsity or College umpires transferring from another location.

Dale Wilson – I think this is a good idea and something that can be shared with the training and evaluation chair. I do believe that NBUA has the best training, and we don’t want any of our umpires to miss that opportunity.

Brian Rooney – As the Director of Recruiting for the Association, I am torn by this question. I came from Little League and joined as an apprentice and was so glad that I did. Because while I thought that I had all the answers, I soon found out how much I didn’t know. And I know I am not alone. Our training is too valuable to be put aside and believe that all of our new members regardless of past experience should begin as an apprentice. If there are extenuating circumstances then those should be addressed by our Eval committee.

Thom Denholm – Anyone who has umpired baseball before should be evaluated as a potential transfer. Unless they worked varsity or other high-level baseball in their previous location, this will probably mean the difference between “apprentice” and “C”. We should also document our tier system clearly so incoming umpires can understand what it means.

4. Will you commit to looking into replacing WisleyPay with Direct Deposit or another payment app that offers more significant fraud protection? 

Terry Granillo – Yes. There’s a significant cost/benefit advantage to ADP/Wisely, as it’s free to NBUA and members (when used as recommended). Direct Deposit is an add-on banking feature, and banking at Bank of America means that’s going to be a significant additional cost. There is ArbiterPay, which has a lot of advantages, and I will be assessing the costs and benefits of such a switch.

Dale Wilson – I am always wanting to find the best option with regards to payment to our umpires. I know I have not had any issues with the app or the security.

Brian Rooney – I believe that we should always be looking for new ways to improve the association. If there is a payment app that would address issues in a more productive way than yes, we should look at it.

Thom Denholm – The fact that this question has been raised is probably sufficient to bring it before the board. I have minimal experience with WiselyPay and comparative fraud protection. If Wisely is tied closely to Arbiter, this may be a difficult task.

5. Short Term Cash Flow issues have again cropped up.  What will you do as a board member to ensure that we no longer get in a cash flow crunch again?

Terry Granillo – Several things. First, adjust the distribution of payments from our largest customer to more closely align with the distribution of work. Second, renegotiate timing and terms with other customers to ensure we have the funds for games completed well in advance of the date we pay 70% out to umpires each month. Third, recruit. More members available to work big weekends solves this problem.

Dale Wilson – This will be one of my key topics if elected to the board. We have made good progress with our cash flow from where we were, but the last month has proven we have more work to do with regards to budgeting and planning.

Brian Rooney – We should work with our main customer to make sure that payment is made in a timely manner that aligns with when we pay our umpires. Also, it is the responsibility of our association to continue to recruit more umpires so that we don’t have the need for outside umpires to come to our aid during tournament weekends.

Thom Denholm – While I understand the desire to fill positions, I do not believe single game bonuses are a good idea. The board needs to work with the assignor to have a documented policy that rewards umpires for working on very busy weekends – the higher weekend rate is a sample of this. Beyond this, I believe we have policies in place to handle late paying leagues and the like. It sounds like you are suggesting a review of these procedures is in order.

6. We are way too short of umpires to perform the number of games we have without a significant drop in the quality of the game we provide our umpires.  Will you commit to decreasing our game assignment numbers till we can build back up our umpire numbers?  Will you commit to no one-man game assignments?  Which customers will you be willing to prioritize for games coverage?

Terry Granillo – This is an annual discussion, and yes, I will commit to doing what I can to balance our game counts with our available umpire numbers. I cannot commit to no 1-Umpire games, as we have school customers who only book 1-Umpire games. I can however, commit to continue to advocate for allowing 1-Umpire games on an exception basis, and not as a regular practice. I will not name customers in this context.

Dale Wilson – The shortage of officials is tough for not only the umpires but our youth athletes. I want to make sure we can balance both as it is so important that the youth are able to play sports. I know that if umpires direct the assignor with key restrictions such as no more than two games a day or no one man game he has insured that these requests are met.

Brian Rooney – The shortage of umpires is tough not only on us but also for the players. However I will not commit to decreasing our game assignments at this time. For example, if an umpire wants to work only two games a day or does not want to work one man games than all he needs to do is let our assignor know. If an umpire wants to work more than two games a day or work solo than it is not up to me to prevent that

Thom Denholm – I am a strong believer in customer service, and for most games, this means two umpires. However, when I joined NBUA 30 years ago, all JV was one-man. I believe for younger leagues (e.g. 12u) and non-competitive games (Freshman, C tier and Junior High), one umpire is sufficient. A minimum of two umpires should be mandatory for Varsity baseball. I would like to understand how the schools are charged for single umpire games and how the WOA pay factors in. I believe we should also increase the pay rate for a single umpire game. Finally, we must somehow factor illness and injuries into our assignment calendar.

7. NBUA has some senior umpires who look complacent on the field and have become so “relaxed” or thinking they do not have to exhibit proper and expected engagement that it does not reflect the supposed high standard of NBUA’s customer service. This does not set a good example to newer umpires and encourages emulation of a too-casual attitude and body language that appears they are officiating from a self-centered standpoint. If you agree with this assessment, how will you address it?

Terry Granillo – I have not witnessed this behavior personally, so I can’t confirm the assessment. In terms of senior umpires, I presume you mean long-standing A- or T- tier officials. My commitment, as ever, is to be honest and receptive in giving and expecting feedback. I have seen guys have off-days, and wind up chasing plays, running through tags or catches, etc, and I tell them about it. I’ve had those days. At those levels we are pretty self-policing, and we depend on the frank and honest feedback we get post-game to ensure we’re keeping our games sharp. As an administrator for the association, we as board members must always take this sort of feedback on members seriously, which we do. Ejection reports, notes from coaches or parents, etc. are assessed for validity and need-for-action in terms of training, evaluation, or occasional disciplinary action.

Dale Wilson – Sorry but I can’t speak to this statement as I have not worked or seen what this question is describing.

Brian Rooney – I cannot speak to this statement as I have not witnessed any such behavior.

Thom Denholm – This can be a fine line to adjudicate, especially for inexperienced umpires. Is the game more casual in nature, or is a crisp professional demeanor the best? We work far more of the latter type of game. This should be taught in training (all tiers). I think there would be value in approaching the leagues and stating we have a “point of emphasis” this year on a more professional demeanor. On the flip side, senior officials should be prepared to observe umpires who have received complaints.

8. There are some umpires who attend no training (though given credit for outside training) and therefore have lost engagement with the Association. None of the newer umpires know who they are and never see some senior umpires they can learn from. They then want to come in mid-season and cherry-pick games and tournaments that more NBUA-dedicated umpires are perfectly capable of officiating. This causes some resentment among some umpires who work all season-long with and for NBUA. Do you agree? If so, what will you do to address this?

Terry Granillo – I understand this sentiment completely, as I felt the same way when I was coming up in the association. We all want the big games. The umpires you refer to spend their Winter and Spring working college schedules. Many umpires cannot work high school ball due to work restrictions and the fact school games typically start at 4pm. This is the case for those few Tournament Tier umpires who show up out of the blue in June and start getting assigned to high level PIL and 18U games. I won’t say they cherry-pick, as they do get assigned to lower age groups too. I agree the high-level assignments can cause resentment. I don’t agree it needs to be addressed any more than it already is managed. I want our best available umpires on our highest level games. In our 3-umpire games, we can, and do, give opportunities to developing B and A tier umpires with experienced partners.

Dale Wilson – I know that Camps and Pro School can apply towards the yearly training. Not sure if that is what the question is asking. Not meeting the training by level would result in not being eligible for promotion.

Brian Rooney – It has long been an NBUA policy that any sanctioned outside training can go towards the umpire’s training hours for that year. Per NBUA policy, the board should direct the assigner to assign the appropriate tiered umpires to each respective game.

Thom Denholm – With COVID, we reduced in-person training, and this is a direct casualty. We should encourage a few all-tier training sessions per year, with a directly focused topic and a healthy break to mingle. Perhaps we could have an incentive for tournament tier officials talking with C tier and below. As far as “cherry- picking”, this is a discussion to have with the assignor.

For a position on the NBUA Board of Directors (4 positions available)

Fellow Umpires,

I joined NBUA in 1993, and have enjoyed working with our umpires over the years. I firmly believe that our organization brings excellence to baseball officiating in Washington, and intend to do my part to continue that legacy, both on and off the field.

As part of my day job, I serve as secretary of the board of directors for the SD association – a world-wide organization that establishes technical standards for SD card media. I have conducted technical training for people from many cultures, and believe some of those techniques can be applied to conflict resolution with coaches and players.

I have also served on the NBUA technical committee and have both provided materials and conducted training sessions for our members.

If elected, I would strive to improve training efficiency and work to increase our rate of pay for summer baseball, to keep pace with recent increases in high school pay rates.

I seek your vote, and am ready to respond to your candidate questions.

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Fellow members of NBUA,

It’s been a wild ride, these past few seasons. We have weathered a season lost, seasons modified or shortened, and in 2023 a season starting to feel like old times. It’s been my privilege to serve on the Board of Directors, and as Treasurer for all of you.

I started with NBUA in 2007, when our numbers were well over 200 working officials. I’d love to get back there, and I’m committed to working with whomever you put on the board this year to get back there, whether I’m one of them or not. Coordinating with neighboring associations, engaging more with local high schools and colleges, and using targeted social media, while not new ideas by any stretch, are among many approaches we can use to increase the visibility and interest among ‘baseball people’ out there in taking up our avocation.

The treasurer role has been a learning experience. In particular as it came in parallel with a change in our assignor. Especially in particular when our new assignor was for many years prior our treasurer! That transition has taken a lot of work, training, and coordination. Endless thanks to Mark Clough for the support and guidance he’s given, even as he’s slammed with his assigning responsibilities.

I’m committed to continuing that work. To building documented systems and controls so that we avoid as many of the hiccups we experience from time to time as possible. I worked in financial accounting management as a CFO for most of my 35 years as a CPA. And having stepped into retirement from that work, I’m eager to continue putting my knowledge and experience to work for us.

I would appreciate your vote. Thank you for your consideration.

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It has been an honor to have been on the NBUA board for the past six years. During that time, I have actively contributed my time and energy as the Chair of the Recruiting and Retention committee. In addition, I have also been a member of the Evaluation and Training staffs. 

As the R&R Chair, we have streamlined our efforts and are actively pursuing leads that come our way. I have either emailed or spoken with everyone that has come to the recruiting committee’s attention and stay in touch with them throughout the process. These future members of NBUA are coming through a variety of sources whether it is Facebook, LinkedIn, WIAA, and our own website. However, the biggest recruiting tool we have is you, our members. I have greatly enjoyed being the conduit for those that you introduce to NBUA.

It is an honor to wear the NBUA hat and represent the best Umpire’s Association in the state. Our principles of customer service, teamwork and excellence guide me as a member of the Board and an umpire on the field. I ask for your support and vote for the NBUA Board of Directors.

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I am Dale Wilson and I started with NBUA in 2016. I was elected to the board in 2020, my years on the board have been extremely rewarding and it has been an honor serving the member these last 3 years.

As a member of the NBUA board I have been the Chair of Member Services & Communication in 2020 and then was voted to be on the Executive Committee as the Secretary. I am currently part of the Member Services & Communication and Evaluations Committee.

My goal when I started on the board was to focus on looking forward and how we can get better as a board and an organization. I believe that I have helped to take steps in that direction with better and open communication with our members. I will continue to bring innovative ideas and being the voice of our members to the board and executive committee.

If reelected, I will continue to work on what members share as potential issues, help to build the member base and to have our members best interest with changes that affects officials on and off the field.

Thank you to all the NBUA members for building a best in class umpiring organization. The desire for each of you to get better in every game is what makes this a great organization.

Thank You

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For the position of Member Liaison

As the current Member Liaison, I have assisted members in bringing a number of items to the attention of various members of the board, and I have provided additional input on behalf of members where direct input to board members has already been started by members. And, I have assisted members in protecting their interests before the Board of Directors. Which this experience, I would be honored to continue to provide such services to NBUA members.

Importantly, as the Member Liaison, I have been able to bring many items to the attention of appropriate Board Members, and on occasion to the Assignor, to express the members’ view of difficult situations or seemingly unfair situations, or to give voice to the frustration that various members have experienced with certain events, policies, or disciplinary procedures. And, when you have asked, such issues have been effectively raised on an anonymous basis – a procedure which is protected by the NBUA procedures.

Through my experience as a member since 2004, I know the bumps in the road that can be experienced while working your way up through the association, and thus I fully understand many of the frustrating situations that members sometimes encounter. Thus, I am able to effectively advocate on your behalf with individual board members, or before the Board as a whole, for explanations, adjustments, and changes which members believe appropriate, given a particular policy or individual situation.

In this era of a shortage of umpires compared to the number of games and officiating positions to be filled, I still hear from members with difficult issues. If reelected, I will continue to work in the Member Liaison role to enhance the visibility of your problems, to assure increased consideration and scrutiny of policies and issues which need the attention of individual board members or the full Board of Directors. I would appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve all members of NBUA in the Member Liaison role.