05/04/2026
Important Update Regarding Game Scheduling & Umpire Availability
Dear Parents, Coaches, and Families,
As we continue through our season, we want to address some growing challenges regarding our game scheduling and the overall environment of our league.
Our primary goal has always been to provide a positive, competitive, and fun environment for our players. However, two major issues are directly impacting our ability to operate smoothly: the elimination of weekend game slots and a severe shortage of game umpires.
We want to be completely transparent about why this is happening and what we need from our community to fix it.
1. Why Weekend Games Are No Longer an Option
We know weekday schedules can be tight, and many have asked why we cannot utilize weekend slots for games.
Scheduling games on weekends is no longer viable because qualified, experienced umpires are almost entirely dedicated to travel leagues on Saturdays and Sundays. This creates a massive gap in coverage, leaving us unable to properly staff weekend games even if fields are available.
2. The Critical Umpire Shortage & A Lost Tradition
It is becoming increasingly difficult—and sometimes impossible—to find officials for our games. We are facing a critical shortage of umpires, and it stems from a broader, troubling trend in youth sports.
A Lost Development Ground: Youth sports used to be a place where umpires learned their craft alongside the young players. It was a community effort where mistakes were expected, forgiven, and used as learning moments for everyone. Unfortunately, that patience seems to be a thing of the past.
The Toll of Verbal Abuse: Constant complaints and a lack of understanding from the stands have driven officials away. No one wants to spend their evening being berated, especially when many of our junior umpires are young adults or community members just starting out.
The Consequences: When experienced umpires migrate exclusively to the travel circuit on weekends and new umpires are driven out by sideline behavior, our recreational league is left with very few options.
The Reality: Without umpires, we cannot play games. If the current environment continues, we will be forced to cancel games simply because we do not have anyone willing to officiate them.
Moving Forward: What We Need From You
To protect the integrity of our league and ensure our kids can keep playing, we need an immediate shift in culture. We are asking all parents and coaches to commit to the following:
Let the Umpires Learn and Work: Give officials the same grace you give the players. They are going to miss calls, just as players miss catches or ground balls.
Keep Perspective: This is youth sports. The primary objective is for the kids to learn teamwork and have fun. No single call in a game is worth compromising the environment of our league or the dignity of an official.
Let the Coaches Coach: Parents, please cheer positively for all players. Avoid coaching from the stands or yelling instructions that conflict with the team's staff.
Educate Yourself on the Rules: Many frustrating moments can be avoided simply by understanding the official league rules before reacting to a call.
Be Part of the Solution: We Are Hiring Umpires
We are always actively looking for new umpires to join our league. If you have ever felt frustrated by a call on the field, or if you believe you have a strong grasp of the game's rules, we strongly encourage you to step up and be a part of the solution. We welcome parents, older siblings, former players, and community members to join our officiating crew. We provide the necessary training to help you succeed. Instead of letting complaints divide us, let's use that passion to rebuild our umpire community from the ground up.
Our league thrives when our community works together. Thank you for your immediate cooperation, your understanding, and your continued support of our players.
Please email [email protected] if you’d like to assist with being an umpire.
Sincerely,
DCLL
