Subject: CBUA 2012 Bulletin #4 This Is a Massemail to All Cbuaumpires . . .2012 Bulletin#4

Subject: CBUA 2012 Bulletin #4
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This is a massemail to all CBUAUmpires . . .2012 Bulletin#4
Thanks to all whowere in Chicago for the NCAA Meeting and CBUA Meeting--I hope you foundit helpful. On a personal note,for those of youthat I didnot get to speak withdirectly, I hope you understandI'm jugglinga variety ofduties during those meetings--verifying room set ups forconferencemeetings,making sure vendors have what theyneed, answeringnumerous individual questions from new umpires--in other words, I can be a little preoccupied. By no means should anyone interpret my actions asignoring them--justtrying to keep everything moving smoothly for the entire group. If I left a questionunanswered, please don'thesitate to email me and I'll do what I can tohelp you.
We had nearly500 CBUA members at theChicago meetings and, consideringthere were some minorweather and travelissues,it was a good showing byour umpires. I knowwe had several members attend the meetingin Irvine, CA andI'm aware ofsome who have plans to be inAtlanta this coming weekend andothers who will be in Philadelphia thefollowing weekend. Forthose of you planning to attend Atlanta or Philly you can find agendas on the NCAA CentralHub Web Page.
CBUA Arbiter reminders . . .Make sure you keep your roster entryupdatedand accurate--this includesentering your full social security number. The system is secureand most schoolswill not issue a paycheck withoutyour SS number. I won'tcontinue to send reminders about this, but I can assure you that if Icontinue to get badgeredby athletic administrators becauseyourefuse to furnish your SS number forpayment, my only future recourse isto assign an umpire who takes care of the requirements in your place.
Also, please keep your availability calendar updated on CBUA Arbiter. If/when you are unavailable toumpire forany reason, pleaseindicatethat onArbiter by closing the date. Occasionally, you mayreceivean email from Arbiterre-offering a date you've already accepted--what that likely indicates is thatthere has been achange related to that contest (i.e. new time,different stadium, etc.)--simply go in and accept the change so we know you are aware of the change.
NCAA Registration/Rule Books/CCA Manuals/Honigs' Gift Certificates/Etc. With the exception of those of you whohave registered with the CBUA in the last 2-3 weeks, everyone should havereceived yourWelcome Packagefrom the NCAA, which should have included your Rule Book and CCA Manual--ifyou haven't received those items, email me immediately (ifyou've registered with the CBUA in the last couple of weeks--we send yourregistrationto the NCAA, they thenship your package, they then notify Honigs that you're paid, Honigs then emails you with your gift certificate number). Ifyou havenot or do not receiveyourHonigs' giftcertificate email, please call888-468-3284.
Division Istaffing and conference assigning . . . for theconferences I coordinate, staffing and assigningare myresponsibilityand, while I'm notperfect,I don'ttake this responsibility lightly.I reviewhundreds of resumes/letters, etc. every year. I crosscheckeveryumpire who has appropriatecredentials with numerous veteran umpires, I watch guys at camps and during summer leagues, etc., I talk to assignors and coordinators from other conferences,and try to becareful and fairto as many deserving umpires as possible.With very few openings at the D-Ilevel it is not easy to offer opportunities toall ofthe capableumpires wehave in the CBUA.
With that being said,my advice to newcomers and to veterans working those conferences is to continue toearn your spot every day. Worry about yourpreparation, your performance, your behavior, etc. Spend a little less timeworrying about other umpires, particularly if your intentis to demean.I paid my duesfor many yearsworking hard inthe amateur ranks and I appreciatethose umpires doing the same thing. At the same time, however,I recognizethat an umpire coming fromprofessional baseball, particularly those who haveworked atthe AAA level, also generallybringa strong skill set.I like to see former professional umpires work some college ball to ensure their communication skills and situation managementphilosophies are appropriate for college athletics and,whenthat is confirmed,I consider them andtheir overall experience just like I do umpires who have comethrough thesmall college ranks matriculating to D-I.The point is--that is my decisionto make along with theconference commissioners to whom I report.If you haveconcern with my decisionmaking relative to D-Istaffing and assigning, pleasecontact me directly with any/all suggestions onhow I can better serve ourconstituency.In the meantimeI will continuetosolicit veteran umpires for help in identifyingthe next most deservingupcoming umpiresand I will be as fair as possibleto advance those whoare themost capable.
Keep working hard with your preseason preparation. I'll send analert when the NCAA Test is live.
Again, it was great seeing everyone in Chicago.
Sincerely,
RichFetchiet
CBUACoordinator of Baseball Umpires