To take an amended line from Vin Scully, “It’s time for Hart PONY Baseball!  To all in the Hart Pony universe, we are looking for prospective umpire trainees to keep our roster filled with the most qualified umpires as possible.  Are you that candidate?

We will begin our training for the Fall Instructional season beginning in August.  This is the best time to learn the ins and outs of umpiring a youth baseball game.  There are no scores, stats, or standings kept, and the entire season is instructional for all players, coaching staffs, and parents.  You will learn a lot about single-man mechanics.

The training begins on Saturday, 5 Aug and continue every weekend (except Labor Day weekend) until the start of the Fall Instructional season.  All training will begin at 8am and will last until 12 noon on Saturdays and Sundays.  We will meet in the board room on the top floor of the canteen building.

You will need to bring to all classes, a 2023 MLB rulebook (this is available through Barnes and Nobel or Amazon.com) and a baseball glove/mitt if you have one.   A PONY rulebook and Hart rules will be provided at no cost to you.  There is an assigning fee that will be determined by the number of new umpires signing up.  That fee will be discussed at the first meeting on 5 Aug.  We will explain the uniforms and equipment needed to complete your assignments as an umpire also.

You will receive comprehensive training in a short time, and it is imperative that you attend every training session as possible.  You will be schooled in rules, mechanics for a single-man and two-man games, participate in field drills and work some practice games with players in the age group that you will work with.  I encourage as many questions as possible that you can come up with.  You will never learn unless your questions have been answered.  There are no stupid questions.

It is going to be hot.  Wear appropriate clothing for working out in the heat.  Bring a water bottle, I have plenty of water for you to drink.  You will need paper and pen/pencil.  This is a real school, and you must be prepared.

If you have any questions before the first class, my contact number is (661) 513-8637.  Call if you need to, again, there is no such thing as a stupid question.

Point of contact is:  [email protected] and put Umpire Training in the subject area.

You may also contact Chris Racina - [email protected] or Kevin Karzin -  [email protected]