The Baseball Umpire Course

What:
The Baseball Umpire Course is an 8 week online intensive course for individuals who want to learn baseball game management skills, responsibilities of baseball officials, and umpire technique. This course includes opportunities for umpires needing a refresher course prior to re-certification with their local association and is perfect for aspiring umpires wanting to get a head start on the season. 

There are 4 million umpires in North America. Three hundred of those work in major or minor league baseball. A major league umpire makes between $175K and $400K. Whether you start as an umpire in Little League or you are working as a full time paid umpire, this 8 week course will take your craft to the next level. Umpires must work their way through the ranks to get the experience and training they need. This course will catapult that aspiration. If your goal is to earn extra income from your community association as an umpire, umpire at your local high school ($75 per game), or work your way up to NCAA & CIS college games, ($1,000/game) this 8 week online course will lay the foundation.

Who should take this course:

• Individuals who want paid positions with local baseball associations, teams, and leagues
• Umpires who want to challenge themselves at the highest level with mentoring from a professional and experienced umpire
• Anyone with the desire to become a major league or minor league umpire
• Individuals who eventually plan on attending one of the umpiring schools authorized by Major League Baseball
• Individual preparing for the Professional Baseball Umpires Corporation evaluation
• League administrators who want to improve their umpiring & coaching
• Baseball coaches who want to learn the rules of baseball
• Anyone who has disagreed with a ruling by a baseball umpire
• Baseball parents who want to learn the rules before they yell!
• Baseball fans who want know the finer points of the game

Individuals will learn: 

• The official rules of baseball (including up to date revisions)
• Maximizing the two man umpire system
• How to best position oneself for all on field situations
• How to anticipate and plan for all challenges
• Insider’s look at the largely unknown world of professional umpires
• How to handle yourself on and off the field
• Handling the disciplinary actions
• Signaling
• Professional Appearance
• Philosophy of Umpiring
• How to radiate confidence in the face of adversity
• Game Management
• Handling the passionate fans and parents with respect
• Professional Umpire approach to the following:

     • Judgment of strike zone
     • Importance of the umpire voice - pitch, tone, & volume
     • Importance of umpire reactions
     • Judgment of plays
     • Correct umpire communication
     • Good positioning
     • Timing
     • Style and form of calls
     • Knowledge of two-umpire mechanics
     • Situation management

This 8 week online course includes:

In addition to the text books, headset, and microphone for the course, the online Baseball Umpire Course includes access to the cutting edge revolutionary software WOOPLE.  This unique umpire video training platform simulates, online and in HD, practical examples of numerous umpiring situations. Access to this software, not found anywhere else in the world, gives you the repetitive experience of an veteran umpire. A few hours using WOOPLE equals a year of making some of the toughest calls in baseball. This innovative software lets "you make the call"  on hundreds of umpiring situations. It then rates how you did, and gives you full explanations. Students are given exclusive access to this advanced umpire software. The more you utilize the software, the more experienced you will become at umpiring.

Click here to watch a sample of WOOPLE.

8 Week Outline:
WEEK ONE – Building the Umpire Career
WEEK TWO – 7 Laws to Understanding the Umpire System
WEEK THREE – Positioning Theory and Umpire Responsibility
WEEK FOUR – Runners on Second Base
WEEK FIVE – Multiple Bases Occupied
WEEK SIX – Runners Occupying Second and Third Base
WEEK SEVEN – Communication and Signals Between Umpire Partners
WEEK EIGHT – Steps to Being Selected for the Final 68


Your Instructor for the Course:

David Yorke
David Yorke has over 20 years of baseball umpiring experience at the college, university, and semi professional leagues. David is a graduate of the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring. His baseball experience includes 4 years as a NCAA Umpire and 15 years as a Canadian Interuniversity Sport Umpire. David is currently CEO and Founder of Umpires Media, a TV and radio company. Umpires Media recently launched a smart phone application that provides baseball fans an opportunity to learn more about the rules of a sport they know and love. For the first time ever, coaches, umpires and baseball fans can test their baseball rules knowledge at the ball park or on the go!" Umpires TV, a product created by David and Umpires Media, is proactive entertainment for the ballpark. Using high definition video, and animated graphics, Umpires TV presents a rule violation and offers the chance to text in a correct answer to win a prize.

We recommend for all our students, you must keep your day job while you make your dream job a reality. David did just that! Prior to his extensive career in baseball, David attended Ryerson Polytechnic and started a career as a news cameraman. David worked at CBC, and CTV, CBS, NBC, Viz News, BBC and Reuters with world class journalists such as Mike Wallace, Michael Maclear, Henry Champ, and Morley Safer. With the growth of on-line activities in the 1990's, David became the acting director of Harrison Young Pesonen Newell, Media Management using new media platforms. David chaired the first forum of Intercom Ontario, a $100 million trial of the world's first broadband-connected community. He worked with Bell Canada, Rogers Shaw Communications, Toronto Hydro, and others as they developed content and delivery models for the next millennium. David worked his way up in the world of baseball and is now connected with some of the top executives in baseball.including well known umpires across the globe. In the weekly chats, you will love David's sense of humor and his passion for umpiring at the highest level.

Course Details

Weekly Audio Chats- A unique aspect of each 8 week course is the opportunity for students to participate weekly in live interactive audio chats with fellow students, David Yorke and Dr. Lynn Lashbrook and renowned guest speakers. This is a tremendous opportunity to network within the professional and collegiate basketball industry and get to know your mentors, guest speakers, and fellow students personally via the internet. This is available via any online computer, headset and microphone are included in your course materials.

Online Education - This innovative academic course is facilitated through a web-based educational delivery system. You will enjoy the online discussion boards, weekly readings, weekly quizzes, course projects, and interaction amongst fellow sports business-minded students and faculty. All course materials and textbooks are included in the course fee.

Global Participation - SMWW students participate from over 140 countries. Courses have a international influence and instructors will cater assignments to specific countries or leagues. Countries with economic challenges are eligible foreconomic dicounts.

Earn College Credit - Most participants are not college students. Most participants are working full time in a variety of careers including many in sports from all over the world. (Many wish they had taken this course in college!) For those of you who are in college and would like transferable credits (graduate or undergraduate) to your school, two-three hours of college credit is available. Click here for more information.

Military Discount - For those individuals who represent their country in military service we offer a discount. Please contact info@smww.com if you are active, reserve, or a retired member of your countries military system. Thank you for serving your country! (Please include what country and specific part of the military.)

Tax Write Off - (For USA Citizens) SMWW course tuition, books and supplies can be used for education tax credits. Save your receipts and consult with your tax advisor on how this applies to you.

MLB Winter Meetings Conference - All SMWW students and faculty are invited to attend the yearly SMWW Winter Baseball Meetings Conference. All SMWW Students recieve a huge discount and are encouraged to attend to utilize their skills and network within the industry. 

Course Certificate & Resume Reference:

Successful graduates of the Sports Management Worldwide courses will be sent a SMWW Certificate of Accomplishment. This certificate represents not only your achievements in the course but also demonstrates your personal commitment to self-improvement and ability to "self train" yourself for higher positions within the sports business industry.

In addition to your certificate, you will be given the stamp of approval by SMWW. This approval includes a personal reference you may add to your resume with contact information for Dr. Lynn Lashbrook and a reference to the mentors of this course.

Apply Now - Free

Cost: $995 (includes all course textbooks, headset, microphone and access to web based classroom. Shipping additional.) Payment plans available (as little as $350 a month). See if you are eligible for an economic discount based on your country of residence. Length: 8 Weeks; "Live" audio online chats weekly with renowned instructors! Prerequisites: Must be 18 or older to participate and have a passion for sports Payment: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover. CALL TODAY: 1-877-SMWW-NOW (In the UK: 087 12884799) Register Now

Academic Credit - Graduate & Undergraduate

Western Oregon University (WOU), a member of the Oregon University System, offers a separate Credit Overlay Program for Sports Management Worldwide's courses. Students interested in obtaining college credit (graduate or undergraduate) for Sports Management Worldwide courses must apply for the credit with Western Oregon University directly.

 

For more information, please visit the following webpage.