Baseball Victoria is excited to announce Tony Cornish's appointment as the BV Umpiring Working Group's new Umpire Recruiting and Retention Officer (RRO).
Tony is recognised for his longstanding involvement with Essendon Baseball Club, where he served as president for 16 years. Tony is also a Premier Baseball Victoria umpire, bringing over 50 years of experience to this critical role.
Tony’s mission is to increase the number of umpires in Victoria, improve their experiences, and strengthen retention within the sport. His role encompasses several initiatives:
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- Umpire Coordinators (UCs) at clubs: each club will appoint a UC responsible for recruitment, training, and supporting umpires.
- Consistent umpire coverage: aim to assign two qualified BV umpires to every BV game weekly.
- Game allocation by skill: ensuring umpires are matched to games appropriate to their experience.
- Enhancing umpire experiences: creating an environment where umpires feel respected and valued.
- Feedback systems: establishing a system where clubs can provide feedback on umpires, and vice versa, to foster
continuous improvement.
Initiative - Seeking Your Input
As part of our efforts, we invite clubs to help shape the questions that will form the foundation of a feedback system. Your input will make sure this initiative is collaborative and impactful.
The feedback system will:
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- Match umpires to games aligned with their skill level while supporting development.
- Provide insights to enhance umpire performance and retention.
- Improve the overall experience for umpires, players, coaches, and clubs.
BV is seeking suggestions on potential questions or areas for feedback by January 31. Things to consider include:
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- Club feedback on umpires
- Umpire feedback on clubs
- Consistency of strike zone
- Spectator behaviour
- Judgment calls
- Player behaviour
- Rule knowledge
- Coach behavior
- Game management
- Facilities
- Communication
- Hospitality
Please send your suggestions to technical@baseballvictoria.com.au.