Making The Call

A pitcher sits on the mound ready to hurl his 85 mph curve ball to an unsuspecting batter.

The whiz of the ball pierces the spring air, as the hurler's foe lets the ball thump into the catcher's mitt and an immediate "STRIKE" can be heard from the man in blue behind the plate.

Yet another foray sees a basketball player dribbling past one defender and another on his way to the basket, but the sound of a whistle halts the play as the athlete is called for traveling by the person in zebra stripes.

For every one of the hundreds of thousands of jump shots and plays at the plate, the umpire or referee is the one who keeps the rhythm of the game in check and also the integrity of some of our favorite pastimes.

"There is no better feeling than making the right call that could decide the outcome of a game," FHSAA and Dixie Youth umpire Carl Belcher said. "I can still remember my first game behind the plate like it was yesterday."

Where It All Began

Belcher is a 10-year veteran behind the plate at nearly all the local high schools and at Dixie Youth Baseball games in the blistering summer heat and still he gets a thrill at the challenge that's inherent with being an umpire.

"I started out as a coach for my son's baseball team and then I just decided that it would be better for my son to get drafted by another team to get a different perspective of the game from another coach," Belcher said. "So I quit coaching, but I still wanted to be around the game."

The natural transition for Belcher was becoming certified and taking his spot in the blue uniform as an umpire where he's been ever since.

David Nitz began his life as a basketball referee 13 years ago here in Highlands County, where he's been a fixture at the local high school games and has progressed through the ranks that now include women's college games for the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference and Sun Belt Conference.

Nitz began his journey to becoming a referee as a player for Trinity College in Chicago before making the move to stripes, which began at Hardee Middle School.

"That first game at Hardee Middle School was really exciting for me," Nitz said. "I remember being nervous and anxious and knowing that I wanted to do what I could to learn everything from the veterans.

"As a player, I had a natural feel for the game of basketball, but you still are never prepared enough for the first time you blow that whistle."

By nature, Nitz is a very reserved person, who likes life on an even keel, but you put the referee uniform on and he admits that a transformation occurs.

"The real benefit for me being a referee has been that I was brought out of my comfort zone and had to learn to take more control and be more assertive when called upon," Nitz said. "It's really brought out a side of me that lay dormant inside of me."

Umpires Needed! How Much Abuse Can You Take?

Referees and umpires are famous for being human punching bags, as they're heckled by fans and parents, and challenged at every turn by players and coaches who believe that every call is a bad call.

Taking some form of abuse comes with the territory if you're going to put on the umpire mask or blow the whistle. And what's in it for the men and women who don the uniforms and sign up for certain abuse?

They don't do it for the money or for any sort of fame or pat on the back.

"The good umpires are all out here for the same reason," Belcher said. "We do it because we love the game - whatever game that might be. We love standing in the background and making sure the game is played the right way and that the teams can walk away knowing that it came down to the best team won."

But even though there are thousands upon thousands of games in a multitude of sports during every high school and college season, the stockpile of referee and umpires has been dwindling over the years.

"The number of referees has really gone down considerably over the past few years," Nitz said. "The entire high school soccer season was in jeopardy because of the lack of officials. There is a real need to recruit quality candidates to beef up our roster of refs."

Belcher and Nitz have both been involved in some crazy moments in the past, but some moments will always stick in their minds.

"I remember a parent walked onto the field and over to the dugout during an all-star game in Okeechobee a few years ago. He grabbed his kid's hand and escorted him off the field and out of the park just because he didn't like the way his son was playing," Belcher said. "The lower level of play, such as Dixie Youth, the crazier the moments that you're libel to witness.

"Most parents or coaches don't separate themselves from the game and realize that this game is for the kids."

"It might not be truly crazy, but my pet peeve has always been coaches who don't know the rules," Nitz said. "And for some reason, the three-second rule is always the one that causes the most controversy.

"I had a coach go ballistic on me because the ball was rolling on the ground and I called a three-second violation. This coach read me the riot act and I actually had to get out the rulebook to show him that I made the right call. That's what you have to expect when you become a referee."

Through The Ranks

Referees and umpires each go through the same type of training that helps them digest the rulebook of their chosen sport.

After training and becoming certified, each newbie is given junior varsity games to help them get acclimated to their new role in the game and help them build confidence before taking the next step.

"Many people think it's easy, but being an umpire takes a lot of hard work and preparation," Belcher said. "The biggest asset that an umpire has is his focus and preparation. I spend a lot of time knowing the teams that I'm umpiring for and learning the coach's tendencies. You have to have an instinctive response to the flow of the game and you also have to anticipate situations. If you know that a certain coach likes to hit-and-run in the late innings, then you can get into position to make the call.

"The right place equals the right call."

A referee or umpire doesn't do the job for the money, as a good local ump or ref will make $45-$55 a night plus travel compared to a college referee who is paid $100-$3,500 a game plus travel.

And once a new umpire or referee has paid his or her dues at the junior varsity level, they then move up to high school varsity, where they must consistently score high on their yearly test to be able to work district or state championship tournaments.

From there, a referee can move to the junior college or college level after another batch of training and where every sport has a different criteria and set of rules on what they're looking for in the new batch of referees.

"When I went to a college training camp, we were split up into what sport we'd be assigned to," Nitz said. "I was told that I was more suited for the women's college basketball game because I got a late start as a college ref.

"To be a referee for Division 1 men's basketball, the NCAA really wants candidates with a certain athletic look. Then they see your mechanics on the floor and how they handle themselves in controlling the game and then knowledge of the rules. They are very picky about who gets to that level because they want the best of the best."

For The Kids

Over the years, Belcher has worked hundreds upon hundreds of games, but one of his highlights had to be working this past summer during a baseball tournament in New York.

"I was asked to be an umpire when I went up with the Sebring team to the tournament in Cooperstown. I umpired 18 games in six days," Belcher said. "It was like I was in a daze after it was over, but it was one of those events that you'll always remember. I then got a chance to tour the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and see the real history behind the game, including the umpires."

Nitz has worked countless state high school basketball championships; including last year's Class 3A boys state championship in Lakeland and an NAIA tournament, which he calls a huge honor.

"It's nice to be selected for those games, because it shows to me that I've proven myself and am doing my job the right way," Nitz said. "My goal is to one day work a Division 1 Women's Final Four and I'm constantly working to get better as a ref."

But no matter what the goal, both Nitz and Belcher say nearly the same thing when asked why they do what they do.

"It's really a sense of pride for me and I always go into a game knowing that I'm going to be called upon to make a call and make the right one," Belcher said. "A good umpire should be invisible but always in position to make the call. We're out here for the kids."

"I've been heckled by the best of them and I just pay those people no mind," Nitz said. "I'm out here for the kids and so are most of my colleagues.

"There are also going to be those people that are here for the extra money or just as a hobby. But you can tell when a referee takes their job seriously and takes pride in the job they do. I love what I do and can't ever see myself not putting on the whistle."

If anyone is interested in becoming a referee, contact your local chapter of the Florida State Referees Association.