Umpire Communications: A Step Back and A Hop Forward

Feb. 1, 2022

By Tim McElroy
SSUSA National Director
Mid-Atlantic Regional UIC

The SSUSA umpire program is jumping into the social media market, where we plan to build relationships with new talent. We've recently launched "SSUSAumpire" pages on the Facebook, Instagram & Twitter platforms. We encourage umpires, players and fans of the senior game to follow those pages and help us recruit and share important updates.

In addition, after a two year break, our monthly umpire newsletter "The Indicator" will start hitting umpire inboxes.

Connecting with prospective umpires requires that we use new methods. All of these efforts are designed to attract and recruit the best possible umpires for Senior Softball.

The Indicator will feature articles that cover a number of areas that are important to SSUSA and our team of umpires. Regular topics will include case studies where we dissect on-field scenarios and applicable playing rules. As we strive for consistency on rules, we will do the same when it comes to positioning & mechanics. The newsletter will also include a rundown of upcoming umpire opportunities and a re-cap of recently completed tournaments. That information is great for umpires already registered to work with SSUSA, but the goal is to recruit umpires. There are talented umpires calling games in leagues across the country that our UICs simply don't have access to.

We need your help.

As players, many of you see these folks regularly but may not know where to point them for tournament work. All eyes will be on Polk County in a few weeks when the Original Tournament of Champions kicks off. The tournament will feature over a hundred teams from around the country with each looking to take home the title. The umpire pool is equally as talented and geographically diverse. We are using 26 umpires from eight states (FL, GA, VA, MD, TN, KS, MO & TX).

For more information, or to receive The Indicator Newsletter please contact Tim McElroy at: tim@seniorsoftball.com