TO: - ArbiterSports



IMPORTANT NOTE: The $135 CBUA registration fee will cover a FULL $125 NCAA fee for each individual CBUA member. This will ensure that all CBUA members are registered with the NCAA and eligible to work D-I, D-II, and D-III (and JUCO) assignments. I realize not all CBUA members will necessarily be assigned to D-I; however, having our entire membership paid at all levels of NCAA baseball will ensure when a D-I opportunity presents itself, no umpire will be held back for not having the correct registration level. Again, the full $125 fee for all CBUA members will be paid to the NCAA from the individual CBUA $135 registration fee. For those of you working NAIA baseball, the NAIA fee is handled individually outside of the CBUA fee structure.

TO: College Baseball Umpires

FROM: Rich Fetchiet

DATE: July, 2015

SUBJECT: 2016 CBUA Registration

This is a lengthy communication with a lot of information for 2016—it is vital that you read and understand the information contained in this memorandum prior to registering for 2016.

If you are interested in being a part of the Collegiate Baseball Umpires Alliance (CBUA) for 2016, please read all of the information in this memorandum and then respond promptly by completing a registration form and returning it with your $135 check or money order no later than October 1, 2015. We do not accept debit/credit cards or cash. Feel free to share this information and a registration form with other qualified college baseball umpires.

As you know, last year was the sixth year the NCAA requested a registration fee from college officials. The fee was mandatory for any umpire wanting to be considered for post-season play. The NCAA fee for all umpires in 2016 is cover by your CBUA registration fee. DO NOT pay this fee directly to the NCAA—your CBUA registration fee will cover your NCAA fee—the CBUA will pay for all of our members with the NCAA. All CBUA paid/registered umpires will receive an email notification mid-fall (likely around November 1) to go online and complete your NCAA registration for 2016.

Among the benefits of being registered with the NCAA includes the online rules testing program, in-season rules quizzes, instructional videos and, of course, eligibility for post-season assignments. Also included with your CBUA membership/NCAA registration is a NCAA Rule Book, a CCA Mechanics Manual, and enhanced clinic/instructional opportunities.

The CBUA has long been recognized as one of the pioneers in collegiate sports officiating consortiums. As many of you know, particularly those of you who also officiate another college sport, officiating alliances/consortiums remain the future of our avocation and many have been modeled after the CBUA. As a leading consortium, we need to be constantly maturing as an organization, as status quo is never good enough. We remain vigilant in our commitment to our mission of recruiting, educating/training, and assigning the most deserving college umpires. Additionally, in meetings this summer with conference representatives (at all levels—D-I, D-II, and D-III) it is clear they are supportive of umpires being registered with the NCAA. My expectation is that enrolling all of our umpires with the NCAA will keep us ahead of the curve and position all of our umpires appropriately as more and more conferences require registration.

For 2016 included in the $135 registration fee for each CBUA member will be:

+full payment of the NCAA’s $125 registration fee for 2016 (DO NOT PAY THE

NCAA DIRECTLY—WE WILL PAY THE NCAA FOR ALL OF OUR CBUA

MEMBERS THIS FALL AND YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED WHEN IT IS TIME TO

COMPLETE YOUR ONLINE NCAA REGISTRATION),

+notifications/invitations to numerous camp/clinic opportunities associated with

the CBUA,

+invitation to NCAA national umpire meetings,

+consideration for regular season assignments,

+consideration for conference tournaments,

+consideration for NJCAA, NAIA, and NCAA post-season assignments,

+networking opportunities with numerous assignors,

+use of CBUA’s Arbiter Sports assigning web site,

+NCAA Rule Book,

+CCA Mechanics Manual,

+CBUA web-based Guidebook (visit: cbua. )

+CBUA web links to conferences, Arbiter Sports/NCAA Central Hub,

umpire organizations, etc.

+10% discount on all umpire-related purchases from Honigs.

Please consider this your invitation to register with the CBUA for the 2016 baseball season.

While several conferences and college assignors utilize our CBUA roster exclusively when filling assignments, REGISTERING DOES NOT GUARANTEE ASSIGNMENTS. A tentative list of schools utilizing the services of the CBUA can be seen on our web site at: cbua. The list of schools will be updated early this fall, as several new conferences have indicated an interest in working with the CBUA for 2016 and beyond.

Assigning will begin in the fall and continue throughout the season. If you already have closed dates because of other assignments, work schedules, personal commitments, etc., you will be given an opportunity early this fall to update your availability on Arbiter.

You should also know that among our CBUA registrants are numerous assignors from all levels of college baseball, as well as several assignors affiliated with some of the leading summer/amateur baseball programs. We not only welcome these assignors in the CBUA, we encourage them to use our CBUA members—we are not the type of organization that restricts our umpires from taking assignments from other assignors.

The registration fee for 2016 will be $135. If you are interested in registering with the CBUA for 2016, please complete the application form and return it to me with your $135 check or money order (made payable to CBUA) to: 4083 Lake Forest Drive East, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 no later than October 1, 2015.

***It is OK to have your bank send your check separate from your form; however, I do not take debit or credit card registrations. ***I need a completed registration form from everyone—even if you’ve been a long-time member.

***Please send your registration REGULAR MAIL. I am not home to sign for special deliveries, overnight packages, etc. and I certainly do not have the time to go and stand in line somewhere to get your registration.

NCAA Umpire Meetings will be held in four locations across the United States during January of 2016. In 2016 we expect most CBUA umpires will attend the meeting in Chicago on January 23, 2016. There may be also be separate meetings held in conjunction with the Chicago clinic for umpires working in C-USA, the MVC and the Big 12—more information on those three gatherings will come at a later date.

All CBUA members are encouraged to attend the Chicago NCAA Meeting and attendance at all NCAA meetings is tracked and shared with assignors. Please do not make departure plans prior to 6 p.m. that evening. BTW—you are not required to stay at the Westin and you are on your own for travel, accommodations, meals, etc. Also, this is a meeting (not a camp or clinic) so umpire gear/uniforms are not needed for Chicago. If for any reason your schedule precludes you from being in Chicago, you should attend one of the other three NCAA meetings.

2016 NCAA meeting schedule is below and more information about these meetings may be found on the NCAA Baseball Central Hub website:

January 9

Nashville, TN

January 17

Palo Alto, CA

January 23

Westin O’Hare

6100 North River Road

Rosemont, IL 60016

847-698-6000

NCAA Room Rate - $104.00

Cut Off Date – January 1, 2016

January 30

Baltimore, MD

Three closing thoughts about registering with the CBUA . . . first and foremost, while I personally believe the value and benefits you receive for your CBUA registration fee make it well worth the investment, I encourage you to think hard about your decision to register with the CBUA. Look carefully at the schools/conferences we serve and those served by our affiliated assignors—if you are not geographically appropriate for the CBUA or don’t believe we are positioned to help you now or in the immediate future, please save your fee. By no means do I want to mislead you into believing that registering with the CBUA automatically qualifies you for college-level umpire assignments. You should also know that I do not foresee dramatic expansion relative to the Division I conference staffs that I currently supervise.

Second, if you are the type of official that prefers not to attend a NCAA meeting, or that thinks annual rules tests are a waste of time, or that makes a habit of canceling assignments, or that shows up late for games and/or pre-game meetings, or prefers your own uniform to that of the CBUA when working our assignments, or prefers your own mechanics rather than those specified by the CCA and NCAA, or that needs to use tobacco on the field or around the stadium or locker room, or that has serious personal issues with illegal drugs, alcohol, or gambling, please DO NOT register with the CBUA.

Finally, among the commentary I heard this summer at coach’s meetings and from conference office personnel was that we have some umpires who have not committed themselves to proper physical conditioning. If you are dramatically overweight and/or have mobility issues, your chances for assignment, particularly at the D-I level, will be reduced or nonexistent.

If you need to contact me, I prefer email. If you need to telephone me, call me at my office—I am available most weekday mornings.

2016 REGISTRATION FORM

Return this form no later than 10/1/15 to: _______Check here ONLY

if you were NOT a CBUA

member in 2015.

Rich Fetchiet

4083 Lake Forest Drive East

Ann Arbor, MI 48108

Make your $135 check or money order payable to CBUA (no debit or credit cards) and include it with your registration form. Full fee required for membership.

Name________________________________________________________________________

Address_____________________________________________________________________

Street Number/Name Apartment Number

____________________________________________________________________________

City State Zip Code

Home Area Code/Phone Number_________________________________________________

Work Area Code/Phone Number_________________________________________________

Mobile Area Code/Phone Number_______________________________________________

Email Address_______________________________________________________________

(It is extremely important that I have an email address for you.)

Social Security Number______________________________________________________

(Will not appear on web site.)

Send form and check via regular US Mail--thanks.

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