Tackling the Colorado umpire shortage, annual camp in Evergreen aims to get kids into officiating

Nothing says summer like the crack of the bat and kids rounding the bases under the hot sun. But far too often, it doesn't happen because there's no umpire to call the game.

"Yeah, all the time. It's really annoying," Sam Schnell said.

"There are always games that come up short with umpires. I'm just trying to train kids and put them in the system," said Phil Mauro, founder and CEO of Evergreen Sports Officials. 

The lack of officials is a problem across all sports and across all states. It's why Mauro started this camp: To teach kids the ins and outs of officiating and provide a space for them to learn and grow.

"First off, you have to look professional. Look the part. Second, you got to know the rules and know how to manage the game. And third sometimes you got to have thick skin," Mauro said.

Schnell is attending the camp for the first time. He's eager to give back to the younger generation of ball players.

"I want to teach the younger kids how to play baseball. I want to be a good role model also," Schnell said.

Being an umpire isn't for the faint of heart. You have to know the rulebook inside and out. You have to maintain a laser focus, and you have to be professional at all times. But if you love baseball, that's the fun part. The hard part? Dealing with coaches and parents.

There's a lot of conflict within the games. Umpires are just sick of taking heat from parents," Phil said.

"Being able to control the parents and coaches. Sometimes they get crazy," Frankie Mauro said.

Frankie is a veteran among the campers. He's been an umpire for about three years now. It's taken time, but he's learned how to handle unruly coaches and parents.

"It's something you got to get used to. You could overreact to it and then they just keep going at you. But if you just stay calm about it, they learn to be quiet."

Through this camp, Schnell has developed a plan for how he will deal with coach/parent/fan adversity when he starts to ump.

"My plan is my pregame talk. Tell the coaches, I want to keep the kids safe and make this a fun and enjoyable experience. I want to make sure that everybody is calm. and we're just here to have a good time."

Phil's camps are about more than just learning. He believes in the power of ongoing mentorship. Umpires, just like athletes, need to be coached and supported to keep in the game.

"I mentor them all the way up. One of my goals is to get one of them to be an MLB umpire."