WLL Umpires
Junior Umpire Program
Woodinville Little League is excited to try something new this year: Junior Umpires! And you could be part of it!
What is a Junior Umpire?
A Junior Umpire is a middle-or high school age boy or girl (13 or older) who helps out WLL by umpiring baseball or softball games.
I know that other sports leagues (like youth soccer) use kid umpires, and they pay their umpires. Will the same be true for WLL?
This is mostly up to you. You have three options:
- You can just volunteer to give back to the league and help out the new generation of Little Leaguers.
- You can volunteer and receive credit for volunteer hours (for National Honor Society or whatever else ... looks great on college applications too!).
- You can request to be paid. The payment rate will be comparable to what other local youth sports leagues pay, and we'll offer this option as long as there is money left in the budget.
If you choose option 1 or 2, you may be eligible to umpire in postseason tournaments (e.g., All-Stars).
Does this mean I'll have to commit to umpire whatever games you assign me?
Of course not--games will be assigned strictly by sign-up, and you can choose whichever, and however many, games work with your schedule.
But I'm not an umpire.
That's OK, neither were your (or your teammates') parents when they first started doing this. We'll provide training for you and we'll be there throughout the season to answer questions and help out with any issues.
This sounds like fun, but I am worried about having to confront an overly pesky coach or parent.
For the most, we will match you up with experienced adult umpires. These umpires will handle any dicey situations involving coaches or spectators. Should you be working a game with no adult umpires present, the coaches will agree on an adult to handle these situations should they arise. Keep in mind, WLL parents are a pretty well-behaved bunch and it's very unlikely that you'll ever encounter such a situation in the first place.
OK, you convinced me. How do I sign up?
Simply fill in this sign-up form. We'll get in touch with you with further details regarding training etc.
I have more questions ...
Feel free to ask Gregor Nitsche at wlluic@gmail.com
Training Opportunities
Rules Clinics for 2024 season, Virtual:
- Recorded - Wednesday, February 28: D8 Umpire Rules Clinic Part 1 of 2
- Recorded - Thursday, February 29: D8 Umpire Rules Clinic Part 2 of 2
In-Person Field Mechanics Clinics:
- Saturday March 2: D8 Umpire Field Mechanics 9am-1pm, Shorewood High School, Shoreline
- Sunday March 3: D8 Umpire Field Mechanics 1pm-5pm, Northshore Athletic Fields, Woodinville