As a girl who grew up loving baseball, I always hoped I’d have boys one day so I could help coach their team. I started out as a dugout mom, team mom and then knew I had to coach. Finally I was given the chance and I had the opportunity to help coach my son from t-ball (ages 5-6) through pony baseball (ages 13-34). Some seasons were tough with dads who didn’t like a “girl teaching their son to play baseball” until they figured out I was good at what I did!
When my son made the high school team and I was through coaching, I decided to follow through with one more dream… umpiring baseball. At the age of 34, I inquired at a local park where my husband was umpiring and although they were a little skeptical, they let me go through the training clinics to try. I made sure that I knew all of the rules (to the point where I think I could recite them in my sleep!) and after my training, I was ready to go.
I’m currently in my 6th year of umpiring, and I’ve worked my way up from umpiring t-ball to umpiring 11-12 year olds, even the allstar tournaments. I’ve still had some men who don’t think I should be on a baseball field, but I keep on! They often complain to my boss, but my boss knows I do a good job and he knows they have no legitimate complaints.
Most of the time, I know the rules better than the coaches and they just don’t like that idea. In fact, the majority of the parents and coaches like me so much, I’ve also gone into the roll of training new umpires when they start! Whoever says “Girls can’t umpire baseball” is absolutely WRONG! I’m glad I decided to follow my dream and ignore those who said I shouldn’t do it.
2 comments
Perry Barber
Kudos to Janet for her grit and determination, and to girlscantwhat.com for shining a light on the stories of the women who dare to dream and persevere.
I too faced opposition, resistance, and outright contempt when I started umpiring in 1981, but almost thirty years later, I’ve had a career I never imagined would happen when I called my first little league pitch in Indio, California. Since then, I’ve umpired all over the world, met and worked with fabulous, dedicated people, and learned as much about myself and human nature as I have about the game. So stay true to your dreams, Janet, and keep calling ’em as you see ’em! And one suggestion: move a bit closer to the catcher and straighten up a little behind the plate – it looks like the stance you’ve adopted will be tough on your back and legs in the long run. Use your legs to bend, not your back; your chin should be level with the top of the catcher’s mask so you can see the outside corner of the plate as the pitch comes in. You want your body to last a long time out there, so treat it kindly!
gretchen
That is an awesome story. Way to follow up and do something about your dream. I love it that you not only followed through but that you did it with excellence. That is fantastic! ^:)^