ASUA Implements Respect My Game Program
What is “Respect My Game”
RMG is a program of awareness that Softball Ontario developed which helps ASUA educate stakeholders on the importance of respecting the umpires game.
Softball Ontario did research after finding one of the main reasons for an umpire leaving the program was abuse on the diamond. They then set out to define the types of abuse and the ways we as umpires, coaches, parents and players can communicate and work differently together to try to reduce the “abuse” that happens on the diamond.
The end goal is to provide tools to umpires to have a different discussion with stakeholders and to bring the issue to the forefront so all stakeholders and participants understand that they have role to play in retention of umpires.
So that’s the short version. To dive into this issue a lot deeper the next step is to designate your member to the Recruitment and Retention Committee as we now start two discussions with our stakeholders.
- The first is the discussion to ensure two umpires on a diamonds from U12 up, and
- The Second is RMG – “What can you do to help the umpire out when things heat up.
So we are moving to create tools to help the Recruitment and Retention of Umpires.
But the real answer to both of these issues Recruitment and Retention is communication, changing the discussions we are having that focus on the real issues we have to address as stakeholders in a game we love to play, coach and umpire.
Hope this helps explain the cards we have developed with permission of Softball Ontario to facilitate a new discussion at the plate meeting.
The new resource website is at www.asua.ca/rmg