Announcement

BPV Youth Baseball Umpire Clinic April 24

Posted by BPV on Apr 15 2022 at 12:30PM PDT in 2021
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If you are interested in umpiring this season in Bettendorf-Pleasant Valley Youth Baseball, plan on attending the FREE Umpire Clinic on Sunday, April 24 from 1-4 p.m. at Bettendorf’s Life Fitness Center.

All umpires are welcome and encouraged to attend to prepare for the rapidly-approaching 2022 season. Check-in is open from 12:45-1 p.m.

High school-certified umpires Brad Wittnebel and Chris Ekstrom are the primary clinicians. BPV umpire director Steve Tappa and top youth lieutenants Luka Konovalov (also HS-certified) and Will Fairman will serve as additional clinic staff.

Instruction will occur for both home plate and base/field duties, as well as a breakdown of gear and Standard Operating Procedures for BPV — and a Q&A period for umpires to ask questions of their clinicians.

Participants will be split into groups according to experience level — from rookie to limited experience to veteran — to better tailor the information to each group.

Umpires are compensated for their game work, with the fee depending on which division is worked!

NOTE: The Life Fitness Center is across the street from Splash Landing (with overflow parking in the swimming pool parking lots) The address is 2222 Middle Road, Bettendorf.

THE CLINIC

Whether or not you have attended one of our clinics in the past, you will find the experience beneficial as we gear the training to the experience level of your grouping for the session.

So, rookies will get more basic/introductory information, while veterans will work on advanced training and skill drills.

The clinic is free, so please take advantage of this opportunity to improve your skills as an umpire, whether for the BPV regular season or looking ahead to the BPV fall program or travel/tournament opportunities.

All umpires looking to work in the BPV should plan to attend.

For more information or to reserve your spot, please email tappasteve@gmail.com or call 563-676-8111

A couple of frequently asked questions:

— What should I do if I am a former umpire unable to umpire this year because of another job or activity? Please just drop Steve Tappa a note to remove you from the active list. And we of course wish you well in your future endeavors! If you need a job reference, you can absolutely put Steve down as a reference without asking — and you never know, someday you may find the time or opportunity to come back to umpire for us again!

— What if I am a former umpire who plans to umpire again? Unless you tell Steve Tappa to remove you from the active list, you will continue getting emails! Please let him know if there is an update to your contact information (especially your cellphone for scheduling purposes!) AND, most importantly, plan to attend the FREE Umpire Clinic on Sunday, April 24. The clinic is for the benefit of all umpires — young and old, rookie or veteran.

— What if I am interested in umpiring BUT have a prior commitment conflicting with the FREE Umpire Clinic? We realize one size will never fit all! Missing the clinic could delay the start of your season — but will not prevent you from umpire duty! PLEASE drop Steve Tappa a note and we will look for a different day when you can get some training if you are a rookie or have limited experience — or if you are a veteran needing to brush up on skills and knock off the rust!

— What if I am only able to attend a portion of the clinic? Please plan to attend as much as you can. But let Steve Tappa know if your clinic stay will be shorter than scheduled and we’ll talk about getting you the most important parts of the clinic to get you ready for the season!

— What if I am a LeClaire resident who needs to stay in LeClaire to umpire? For the first time in 2022, we are also scheduling the umpires in LeClaire, so please let Steve Tappa know if you are up for regular duty at LeClaire’s Veterans Memorial Complex!