Rock 100.5 FM's Jordan Patzwald will be putting his umpiring skills to the test this weekend at the PeeWee Western Canadian Softball Championships.
Patzwald, an experienced umpire, will be heading to Strathmore, Alberta, for the tournament.
The fast-pitch championships will consist of the second and third-place finishers from boys and girls Under-14 Provincial tournaments all across Western Canada.
This won't be Patzwald's first time, however. He returns to the Western Canadian Championships looking to add to his already impressive umpiring resume.
"I've been umpiring since I was twelve. It's been almost ten years that?I've been doing it so I started young. This will be my second Western Canadian Championship," Patzwald recalls.
With last year's tournament taking place in Moose Jaw, this year will mark the first time that Patzwald is umpiring out-of-province.
He says that the chance to showcase his skills in a new environment will be an exciting challenge.
"It's the first time I'm going to umpire out of province. The thing I'm looking forward to most is just getting a chance to be evaluated and recognized out of the province of Saskatchewan.?So that's what I'm probably looking forward to the most," Patzwald explains.
Although the tournaments at the Western Canadian level do carry a higher level of prestige, Patzwald indicates that the money earned by those attending still isn't substantial.
That being said, the chance to gain experience at a higher level is what keeps bringing umpires back for more. ?
"I'm really am going moreso for the experience. To get evaluated by higher level umpires and the umpires-in-chiefs. Not only is it a showcase for the players, it's really an opportunity for us to better ourselves," he says.
Umpiring has been a long-time passion for the 21-year old Regina-native. ?
As Patzwald explains, his entrance into umpiring was originally inspired by his father's passion for the sport.
"It was a thing I?could do with my Dad," he details.
With his father having reached as high as the Canadian Fast-pitch Championships in his time as an umpire, Patzwald says that he has similar ambitions.
Currently designated as a Level Three umpire, he would need to achieve Level 4 before moving onto the adult softball tournaments.
Level 5, the highest designation achievable, is where international tournaments start becoming a possibility.
While the possibility of international competition is intriguing, Patzwald states that the time commitment would be too intensive, especially considering the fact that he enjoys the full-time radio job that he has now.
For those unfamiliar with fast-pitch softball, Patzwald indicates that the pace for both players and umpires is executed at a much faster rate than a typical baseball game.
This is because softball has a much smaller playing surface -- requiring officials and athletes to be much more focused and ready in case the ball comes their way.
"As an umpire, we have to be quick on our toes ourselves," Patzwald demonstrates.
For younger umpires interested in following Patzwald's path, he says that there are many great things about the job.
"It's a pretty easy way to make some money," he says, "It's just so much fun."?
With any competitive sport, there is the ever present threat of verbal confrontation, especially from angry coaches and players.
"I know that's one thing that can really drive away a lot of kids,"?Patzwald says.
Fortunately, Softball Canada is seeking to eliminate these instances by instituting a mentorship program amongst it's umpires. This would allow the newer umpires to work with someone much more experienced and accredited, thus easing the tension.
Although he is in the minority, Patzwald says that he actually enjoys the arguing element of the sport. It keeps him on his toes.
"I actually like the screaming and yelling and being on the edge... It motivates me because you want to get the call right every single time," he mentions.
With Softball Canada recognizing and addressing the challenges of umpiring, Patzwald says that it paves the way for umpires to reap the rewards of the position.
"Definitely the reward is... if you're lucky and fortunate enough to be good and you're getting recognized, there is an opportunity to be travel which is pretty exciting," he points out, "There is even a chance to travel the World with this and that's one of the exciting things with that."?
Heading into the weekend, Patzwald does have a goal in mind. To be the umpire in the tournament's final game.
"The big goal of going to a championship is to be able to do the dish in the gold medal game. That's the biggest role in the biggest game."
Umpires are graded and evaluated constantly by officials throughout the tournament. Those who grade out best when it comes to control of the game, professionalism and the technical aspects of umpiring will be rewarded with a chance to work the finals.
With Patzwald's experience and attitude, a berth in the title game should be a no-brainer.
