Veteran softball umpire Vince McMillan is hoping to reverse the recent decline in people becoming high school sports officials in West Virginia. (Photo by Randall Jett/Doddridge Independent)

You name it, Vince McMillan has probably seen it on an athletic field.

McMillan has been a high school official in West Virginia for 22 years in both football and softball.

He is a past President and a member of the board of the Mid-Ohio Valley Umpire’s Association.

Over the past few years, McMillan has watched a steady decline in the number of high school officials in all sports and he’d like to see that trend reverse itself.

“Over the last 10 years there’s been a steady decline in all sports, mainly softball and baseball,” he said. “Football is really struggling. Basketball seems to be holding their own, but in the last 10 years there has been a steady decline. It’s getting to the point now where we’re almost having to tell teams to reschedule games because we do not have enough umpires to cover — especially at the middle school level.”

Over the course of this season, many middle school softball games have been played with just one umpire because of a lack of available officials.

The West Virginia SSAC has loosened requirements to try to fill that need.

“What they’ve done now — if you’re 16 years old, you can take the class and you can go out here and do non-varsity softball softball games,” McMillan said. “You can go out and make $70 or $75 per game doing a middle school softball game, and you’re still a high school student.

“That’s one thing that they have opened up to try to get more people involved. It’s starting to work in some areas, but not so much in others.”

McMillan would like to see more young or even some older people take an interest in becoming an umpire in softball or baseball.

People can find out how to become an official at the wvssac.org site by clicking on the Officials link.

It will take them to a page where they can find a tab called RefReps Link to register for classes and training.

“There are four modules that you take online,” McMillan said. “After that you have to have 30 hours of field training. You can do that at any time of year for any sport. You can do it now for football. You can do it now for baseball, softball, soccer, swimming, whatever.”

For the 30 hours of field time, McMillan noted that he can get would-be officials all the training time they want this summer.

“I can take you to Columbus, Ohio in the summertime, work a USA softball tournament up there,” he said. “You’re going to make $55 a game. You’re going to walk out of there with the minimum of $650 cash at the end of the weekend and you’re going to get your 30 hours of training in with excellent umpires from our local area, and our board that will help you get where you need to be.”

If someone wants to get deeply involved, they can work USA softball’s elite program and qualify to go to national championships or work college games as well.

With the need for umpires so high, the opportunity to make some decent money is there as well for high school or college student.

“In a year’s time, coming in as a freshman in high school and you’re going to do middle school games and you go do games in the summer, with USA or your local rec leagues, you’re going to make close to $9,000 or $10,000 in just the span of softball season,” McMillan said. “If you’re a college student, it carries over into the fall. Do you want to flip burgers at McDonald’s or do you want to go out there and do something to make more money than you’re making at a fast food joint.

“Softball has a bigger window. Baseball has a bigger window. With football you’re more limited. You’re just got that certain couple months then you’re done.”

Candidates worried about dealing with irate fans and parents will get to learn from more experienced partners about the ins and outs of the profession.

“There’s training for that,” McMillan said. “The best training for that is experience. The best way to get that is actually go to a tournament where you’re going to have people climbing your case whether you’re right or wrong. You just tune it out. When we’re done with you, you’re going to know the rules. You’re going to be crisp. You’re going to make a call and stand behind that call 100 percent, and your partner is going to have your back 100 percent. If you stunk it up, you get together with your partner and you fix it. It’s pretty simple. At the end of the day, one dugout is going to be mad at you. The other one is going to love you. That’s a good life lesson because you tell me one person that goes and does their job for 40 hours a week and don’t make a mistake or two during the week, I’ll shake their hand.

“We’re going to make a mistake on that field. It happens.”

Male, female, it doesn’t matter. If you have a desire to gain a better understanding for the sport, you can be an official.

“We’re looking for young and old,” McMillan said. “We’ll take what we can get. Male, female, it don’t matter. We’ve got an excellent training program through our board. You’re going to get out of it exactly what you put into it. If you just want to go out there and chase a game check and make money — there’s guys that do that. Then there are guys who take it serious and really want to be good.

“I always tell them that anybody can take the class. Anybody can pass the test. Anybody can be an umpire — be a good one. The kids work too hard for you not to go out there and do a good job. That’s plain and simple. You’re cheating the kids.

“It’s not hard. It’s really not that hard. It does take a little bit of time to get used to, but it’s really not that hard.”

Now is the time to get the ball rolling.