NBUA 2021 Elections
Following are the questions asked by NBUA members and the answers submitted by the candidates.

Question 1: As we move into new training procedures, taking into account last year’s remote-mostly format, what percentage of training could be virtual?  Which aspects must be in person?

Mr. Granillo:
There are aspects of training that virtual meetings can actually enhance. Participation, play and positioning analysis, drilling down on rules to name a few. Future training might continue to employ some limited use of virtual modes even after we’re past pandemic protocols. Of course we’ll always need to get on the field and drill the fundamentals of the two-umpire system. For a full training regimen for new umpires, I’d estimate 15 hours field time, 15 hours rule study and classroom training, most if not all of which could be virtual.
Mr. Venters:
I do not have an exact percentage, however I feel about 50% of the meetings could be conducted online.  Much of the training can be conducted virtually; and these trainings should be repeated at least once with replays available via YouTube. Apprentice training may be an exception. The first meeting and WOA meeting should be in person.  The field training must be in person.  An in-person and virtual option can be available for most meetings. With some structure virtual training can have accountability for attendance and participation. I believe with what is already available online, we need to expand virtual training with a series of emailed plays to invoke thought and discussion.  We can look at what other associations have posted online to improve our training.
Mr. Wilson:
My recommendation to the training director for the 2022 training format would be to take the learning we had in 2021 and use this to layout the training format with a mix of Live and Virtual. We could also do a better job of training the trainers.
My suggestion would be that the Apprentice level would have a large % of in person meeting with the C and upper tiers apportionately less virtual for the classroom training. The virtual training worked out to be effective and saves time for all when it comes to travel, but part of getting together with our friends/umpires at training is important to fellowship.
Mr. Owsiak:
The format of the training should be driven by the desired outcomes and the effectiveness of the delivery format in achieving those outcomes. That said, virtual training during the week enables us to reach more members out of convenience. The online format is effective for learning concepts. Field training would continue to be in person as it is necessary to learn and practice the mechanics on a field. I am in favor of using more scrimmages to train umpires early in the season.

Question 2: What aspects of training should be emphasized more?
What will you do as a member of the board to enhance NBUA’s umpire training?

Mr. Granillo:
It really varies by level of official. Although I’d immediately qualify that if we continue to struggle with numbers and by necessity have to assign newer umpires to upper level games they might not normally work. Consistency of mechanics, communication, pregame are all essential foundational components of training we have to drill into all officials on day one, and then re-emphasize as they grow as officials. NBUA is a leader in the officiating community because of the consistent quality of officials we put on the field year-to-year. It’s not a given that we maintain that level of consistent quality, and we have to continue to refocus our training to do so. If we continue to face a reality of limited numbers, then it becomes more important to give our newer umpires more training, both in controlled training scenarios and live-game situations, on how to manage a game, players, team personnel, and situational awareness. You learn that best by doing it, but trial-by-fire can be pretty awful. To best serve our membership and our customers NBUA will need to adapt to low numbers through more and more carefully progressive assignments with top-tier umpires when higher level assignments come up. Leslie and Mark have long done a great job of this, but where in the past it’s been less frequent, it may unfortunately become more of a norm. I have long been committed to the training program at NBUA, participating every year as an on-field
training instructor. I consider my work with newer officials critical as well, as that immediate post-(or in-) game feedback is some of the most effective at teaching developing umpires.
Mr. Venters:
I believe we need to adjust part of our focus to spend more time on unique plays and case plays with visual aids.  These are the situations that get us in trouble.  We need to spend time on league rules and the NBUA philosophy for certain situations so we can present a unified approach to all games. We need to spend time on how to communicate with coaches. Every year everyone needs to spend time on fundamentals like partner communication, strike zone, and ball tracking.  TT, A, and B umpires need to be trained how to provide feedback and what NBUA wants emphasized. As a board member, I would try to form a new group under the education unit to find existing online resources to use.  I would work to have the leadership establish NBUA’s opinion instead of individual opinions.
Mr. Wilson:
High School areas of emphasis and how to enforce and discipline for violations. Best example would be the jewelry issues we ran into in the 2021 High school season.
For Summer Ball I would have the training team work on helping with game management when it comes to Coaches, Players, and fan conduct. I believe that if we are well prepared and trained for incidents we can handle them better and have fewer problems for our umpires.
Mr Owsiak:
Field training specific to your tier should be emphasized more. For example, C-tier umpires should have the option to attend Apprentice field training; however, I would use feedback from evaluations and members to offer targeted training to C-tier members to address areas of interest. In addition, I would look to standardize our training handouts and further define the NBUA to address any conflicting feedback that has been brought up in training or in evaluations.

Question 3: With cost of living, gas prices, etc, increasing, not to mention the deduction of “travel fee” from the 2nd game of a HS DH, how tough should NBUA get with game fee negotiation? Do you think we are fairly compensated?

Mr. Granillo:
If I’m 100% honest, I do. I think youth sport officiating is an avocation best pursued for the intrinsic rewards. I understand many officials rely more on the compensation. NBUA operates in partnership with our customers to ensure as many young people can participate in this sport as possible, with quality officials present to adjudicate. We should be honest and transparent about our costs and our challenges in attracting and retaining officials, and work together with our customers to arrive at our rates.
Mr. Venters:
All contract negotiations can be a delicate balancing act. In regards to the 2 nd game fee travel deduction, I would push the board to research the current contract to confirm who the agreement is with and the details of that contract to confirm it is being interpreted correctly.   I believe we have the power to negotiate this now. This is the first place I have been where a travel fee has been part of regular season.  Perhaps we can negotiate future contracts with verbiage of just a “game fee”. Like everyone, I want more money.  I came from San Jose with the highest cost of living in the country and similar game fees.  I also spent time in less expensive markets with higher game fees.  We are dealing with businesses which have their own expenses, I believe we have the power to negotiate appropriate increases over a period of time.
Mr. Wilson:
The larger opportunity for pay structure in my opinion is around High School Pay. I would be looking at removing the Travel Fee and getting into the game fee, this would eliminate the Double Header same field deduction issue as well as increasing total game fee to better align with the other High School sports.
Mr. Owsiak:
NBUA is a mission-driven organization. As such, we are called to promote the sport in our community. I prefer to think of compensation as a means to make certain our members can obtain the correct equipment, uniforms, and cover necessary costs to officiate. That said, NBUA’s ability to negotiate and request game fees is influenced by the officiating experience provided by its members. Our focus should continue to be on providing best-in-class officiating services, so our customers see the value in maintaining and increasing the game fees.

Question 4: How would you, as a board member, suggest handling fan and coach “over-competitiveness” and on-field criticisms of umpires during games? This borders on abuse at several schools and some leagues. It is a culture passed down by the coaches and even some AD’s and is inciteful for the players. What would you suggest to alleviate this?

Mr. Granillo:
Strong training. As I mentioned in Question 2, we’ve got more inexperienced officials in general on higher level games than we have had in recent memory. Often times the approach an official takes as situations are budding can change an ejection into a nothing. Umpire abuse is part of the culture of baseball. It’s changing; they’re working hard on it in High School and College ball every year. We alleviate it be consistently enforcing the progressive discipline protocols. We do that by training them into our umpires effectively. We support our umpires when they have to eject. We coach our umpires when an ejection might’ve been avoided.
Mr. Venters:
I believe the board needs to form guidance within the rules for misconduct and provide better training for umpire communications with coaches.  We need to educate some conflict resolution. NBUA also needs to work with the leagues to set expectations for coach, player, and fan conduct.  Unfortunately, we cannot mandate their policies or rules.  We need to provide better training and work with umpires who are in these situations.  Let’s be honest, if someone is acting completely out of control, maybe the umpire did something to light that fire or add fuel to the flame. This is not allows the case, but it usually a factor whether truthful or perceived. We need to work with these umpires to improve their umpire skills and communication skills.
Mr. Wilson:
There are a few areas that can help with this issue. The first would be to include into our training program more role-play to help members be better prepared. I believe if we are prepared, we can handle situations better. The second would be scheduling, if we insured that Apprentice and C tier are working more games with upper tiers, we would have the opportunity to mentor and potentially defuse issues before they become a larger situation and at the same tome show management examples.
In addition, if we have consistent problems with one school, team or league, our board can step in and, if necessary, levy sanctions.
Mr. Owsiak:
The rules and our procedures are very clear on addressing certain behaviors during the game. NBUA should continue to train members on the rules, use of preventative umpiring to keep coaches and players in the games, and, if necessary, ejections. For our non-school ball leagues, NBUA should continue to have a dialogue regarding the types of behaviors seen on the field; however, this discussion needs to be fact-based and in the context of promoting the sport.

Question 5: In what areas do you feel the Board can effect improvements? What should the board do in the near future to improve NBUA? What (specifically) is your plan to make those improvements?

Mr. Granillo:
I have no specific plan to improve NBUA.
Mr. Venters:
I think the board needs to do a better job of making sure member questions are resolved with simple answers, negotiating higher increases in fees, and improving training.  I will work to make sure all of the communication from NBUA is clear and to the point with direct links were appropriate. Improving training can immediately be addressed.   I do appreciate the work our volunteers put in. My plan is to review of how we train and as stated above, initiate new methods including video clips and field training exercises. Perhaps we need to spend some money on training aids, training our
trainers or paying our trainers. I think part of the field training needs to be with real players or teams and immediate feedback from trainers.  We can script scenarios into these trainings.  If an contracts are immediately up for renewal, I will work for higher fees.
Mr. Wilson:
The areas that I would be looking to improve is continuing to gather feedback from the members to make training the best possible. We should continue to add technology to the organization to better train, communicate, share information and recruit.
Mr. Owsiak:
Training and evaluations are two areas I would enact improvements. For training, I would consider targeted training sessions to address specific areas of interest from our members, both in theory and in practice. In doing so, I would look to give members a chance to work on their evaluation feedback. This may include mid-season training opportunities. For evaluations, I would clarify the rating system and reviewing guidelines as my experience is the understanding of the system and directions varies by the individual. I would look to more clearly define the desired competencies at each level (e.g., what is a 3 for an A-tier vs. C-tier). Lastly, I would clarify the use of the rating information to address any member frustration.

Question 6: What skills/knowledge/life experiences do you possess and could bring to the Board to make the Association function more smoothly and effectively?

Mr. Granillo:
I’ve been a CPA in corporate finance, accounting and auditing for thirty years. I’ve served as an instructor for NBUA for over ten years, and as Evaluations Chair for three years.
Mr. Venters:
I have worked with coaches and administrators all my professional life at the college and professional levels. Some who make millions of dollars a year with huge egos and some who think they do.  I have learned from many experiences how to interact with them and how to communicate during difficult interactions.  I have also learned how to train and communicate with inexperienced and new staff members.  I believe I can help the board rationalize decisions and communicate effectively.  I have an education degree and always worked in educational environments.  I know how to teach with common language and focus on the major items without getting lost in the details.
Mr. Wilson:
I am levelheaded and always look at all sides before sharing my thoughts and opinions.
I always look forward and not back with the goal to get better.
Mr. Owsiak:
The majority of my professional career has been working with leaders of large corporations to define their vision and a strategy to achieve that vision. From this, I have learned that the path forward is a combination of the culture that makes the organization great and a continuous improvement mindset I bring collaboration, inclusion, problem solving, and most of all, the ability to own and drive outcomes.