photo by: Kim North

Pictured are the six of the new umpires for the Ohio Valley Board of Approved Umpires. They are, front row from left, Macy Sustik, Tori Gross and Erin Elswick. Second row, from left, are Grace Tamburin, Abby O’Donnell and Alivia West. Back row, from left, are umpires Donnie Martin, Randy Whitlatch and Russ Hall. Not pictured is Erica Seidler.

WHEELING – Without umpires, baseball and softball – at all levels of play – doesn’t exist.

The Ohio Valley is no stranger to shortages of officials, referees and umpires. According to a report, nearly 80 Junior Varsity basketball games were canceled last winter due to the lack of officials.

In an attempt to keep that from happening on the youth softball diamonds, the Ohio Valley Board of Approved Umpires has held training sessions for aspiring umpire candidates. To date, seven females – all high school students – have passed the training and are umpiring games during the Fall season at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Youth Sports Complex on the hilltop in Elm Grove.

They are Grace Tamburin, Erin Elswick, Abby O’Donnell and Alivia West of Wheeling Park High School; Erica Seidler of John Marshall; Linsly’s Macy Sustik; and Indian Creek’s Tori Gross.

“We have put these girls through some training sessions at Wheeling Park High School and they are currently working games at the 3rd grade level,” Randy Whitlatch, president of the umpire’s association, said. “The training consisted of off-the-field training, going over rules, positioning, how to dress, umpire conduct and how to handle certain situations. Then we moved to the field where one veteran umpire worked with one of the girls doing a game,” he added. “When the veteran umpire thinks the new umpire has control of the game, they back off and let her go. After a couple of games being shadowed, we let them start doing games by themselves.”

Whitlatch, along with Donnie Martin and Russ Hall, conducted the sessions.

“It has been a pleasure working with and getting to know these extraordinary young ladies and their parents,” Whitlatch noted. “We are always looking for umpires. Individuals are welcome to attend our meetings, take the training rule books and whatever we can offer at absolutely no cost. Our hope, one day, is that interested individuals will join the OV Board, move up the ranks, and within a few years be doing OVAC high school games.”