YBE 107: How To Be A (Reasonably Good) Baseball Umpire with Brandon Jackson

How do you become an ump in youth leagues like Little League? How do you become a high school ump? College? Pros? What makes a good ump? Brandon Jackson, a long-time and well-respected collegiate umpire, shares his thoughts on these and other umpire-related topics.

In this 35-minute episode, you'll learn:

• why coaches and players should consider becoming an ump
• whether Brandon believes a shortage of umpires exists
• how to become an umpire
• how to become a Division I/II collegiate umpire
• whether you have to be a high school ump before you can be a college ump
• whether you need to attend a professional umpiring school if you have extensive experience
• whether you are guaranteed a job after graduating from a professional umpiring school
• what's the typical pay scale for umpires, from Little League/rec leagues to MLB
• what the degree of difficulty is in becoming a major league umpire
• whether being a professional umpire can be taxing on his family
• three qualities of a good umpire (besides making good calls)
• three tips for coaches when interacting with umpires

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

• Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring
• Wendelstedt Umpire School
• Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy

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