UMPS CARE Charities – the official philanthropy of the Major League Baseball Umpires – is proud to announce that it has teamed up with MLB Together for a national campaign with a goal of curbing physical and verbal abuse directed at sports officials in youth sports.
The campaign includes a public service announcement, created with the input of Major League Baseball Umpires, UMPS CARE Charities and MLB Together. MLB Together is baseball’s social responsibility platform to make change off the field in communities. Together with Clubs, Players, and fans, MLB encourages the public to get involved in their communities.
“We are thrilled to have the continued support of Major League Baseball and the MLB Umpires for this important campaign to stop verbal and physical abuse against umpires in youth sports,” said Jennifer Skolochenko-Platt, Executive Director of UMPS CARE Charities. “There is a huge crisis in youth sports with a national shortage of sports officials, largely because of the abuse directed toward them from players, coaches and parents. MLB Umpires are committed to using their role at the top level of baseball to support umpires and officials at all levels.”
“MLB Together is proud to support the outstanding work of the Major League Umpires and to shine a light on the significant role that youth umpires and other officials have in bringing kids into baseball, softball and all sports,” April Brown, MLB’s Senior Vice President for Social Responsibility, said. “Umpires are at the center of providing fairness, order and an environment of respect – and all sports officials deserve exactly that from their communities in return. We want all kids to learn these important life values through their participation in baseball and softball.”
In a 2023 NASO survey of 35,813 sports officials, nearly 69 percent cited a deterioration in sportsmanship as a major concern, nearly a 10-percentage point increase from similar responses in a 2017 survey. More than 40 percent of the 2023 respondents cited unruly parents attending youth sporting events as the biggest problem.
In addition to a public service announcement for this campaign, UMPS CARE and MLB Together have created a webpage encouraging fans to “take the pledge” to support better behavior at baseball games. The pledge includes a post that fans can share on social media to engage friends and family to do the same. To take the pledge, click UmpsCare.com/pledge
“UMPS CARE Charities was founded in 2006 through the compassion of the Major League Baseball Umpires to give back to the communities in which we work,” said MLB Umpire DJ Reyburn, who is a board member of the charity. “We know there is a national shortage of sports officials, and the MLB Umpires want to show their public support for sports officials at all levels of the game. Verbal and physical abuse of umpires is not OK.”
Recognizing the uptick in verbal and physical abuse of sports officials nationwide, UMPS CARE launched it newest initiative in 2021. The Official Leadership Program is a free 6-week course for teens that teaches umpiring mechanics on the field and leadership skills in the classroom. Graduates get the opportunity to meet MLB Umpires in special meet and greets before Major League games.
For more information and for umpire resources in the community, click UmpsCare.com/pledge
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