Baseball.

Things are starting to get busy. After 7 days off from Baseball I'm starting to umpire a lot again, I had a game yesterday, today, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Honestly, who knows if I'll get any more games after that because June 25-28th I am going to Las Vegas with my Dad. Once we get back to Ohio we are leaving for the beach! I am soooooo excited to go back to Myrtle Beach, so, so excited!

I miss the Beach and I miss the Condo we stay at too. I really do love that place, hardly any people, quiet and only a small walk from to the Beach. I am so excited to go back. 

I love umpiring, this is my 3rd year umpiring and considering I played Baseball (with guys) till I was 13 and played softball till I was 19..I am pretty sure I know what I'm doing. I've read the rules over and over and I know how the game like the back of my hand. This year, I've really only worked with the 11 and 12 year olds and sometimes the 13-14 year olds. The 11 and 12 boys are my absolute favorite! I've known most of those boys because when I started umpiring they were in the lower leagues, so the past 3 years I've gotten to know these boys pretty well and watched them grow as ball players. Most of the time, the games are fun! The boys play hard and at that level (11 and up!) they pretty much know what they are doing (most of the time, haha!) so the games go well. Sometimes a coach complains and parents chime in, but so far this year...I haven't had any real problems.

However, with both Stow and Wadsworth teams the head coaches refused to shake my hand at the before the game coaches meeting and ran their mouths throughout both games complaining that I was a girl, said that I didn't know what I was doing because I was female.

Never, ever in my life...have I been discriminated so much because of my gender. It has really opened my eyes to being discriminated against. I can't even imagine if there are so many people who are against me umpiring because I am female, how hard is for Asian, Latin, Black, Hispanic, LBGT community and other nationalities to survive in this country? No wonder there are so many problems in this country and we can't get anything done in Washington! Sheesh!

Last night, when I umpired a 9-10 year old game...it was absolute chaos. The game hadn't even went on for 5 minutes before the parents and coaches were screaming. Usually when someone yells at me or disagrees with a call I make, I ignore them. I look the other way and act as if they aren't even there, because frankly..I don't care. I know I made the right call, if someone is out I will call them out and if someone is safe I'll call them safe. Last night was probably the most infuriating game I had to umpire. One, because the coaches and parents who screamed, yelled, tried to start a fist fight on the field and told my partner to go die (because he's elderly but not that elderly!) were setting horrible examples for their kids. Two, at that age they are learning HOW to play the game; yes, its the playoffs and both teams want to win, I understand that..I've been there. But acting like animals and setting bad examples for the kids isn't going to help any of that.

Today and most of next week, I am with the same age group and the same field. From today on, I am telling both teams..if anyone says a word to me or yells or screams or becomes violent...I am throwing them out of the game and if things become worse..I am calling the police.

I am not putting up with anymore crap from sexist, rude, idiotic people..who know nothing about the game of Baseball. I don't get paid enough to put up with this psycho-ness. I love the kids and I love the game and that is why I umpire.

And I am not going to let any hateful people stop me from doing what I love.