The Umpire Inspire Podcast

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Batting leadoff for Season Two of The Umpire Inspire Podcast: an outstanding umpire with an amazing story and journey!

Jen Pawol is a Minor League Baseball Umpire, notable of course for being the seventh female umpire hired into Minor League Baseball and one of two females to be currently on the MiLB Umpire Staff. But she has also worked in NCAA Division One Softball and National Professional Fastpitch… AND is an accomplished athlete with, among other things, a World Championship title as a member of the 2001 USA Baseball Team… AND is a business owner who mentors and trains young umpires and ballplayers with her own curriculum and online certification courses… AND has had her umpire mask placed on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY… AND has had her journey as a professional baseball umpire featured by ESPN, CBS Sports, Baseball America, The Los Angeles Times, Referee Magazine, MLB.com and many more.

We discuss Jen's journey to becoming a Minor League Baseball Umpire, her perspectives on being a trailblazer in her profession, her thoughts on her fellow female umpires who blazed the trail for her, and much more. Enjoy! 

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Join the Umpire Inspire Crew on Patreon!

The Umpire Inspire Podcast is LISTENER-SUPPORTED! Working umpires, and those who support them, are the engine behind this podcast and the greater mission of Umpire Inspire.

I’d like to invite you to support the show on Patreon and become an active participant in building Umpire Inspire as we celebrate and inspire baseball and softball umpires all around the world. Contributors on Patreon earn rewards like early access to podcast episodes, community involvement opportunities, Umpire Inspire merchandise, and, most importantly, the pride of fueling an effort that matters to you. Join the UI Crew today!

The Umpire Inspire Podcast is back for Season Two! For the next few months we again have the opportunity to visit with extraordinary and ordinary umpires from all around the world who will encourage and inspire us. 

It's going to be another fun ride for all of us, and I hope you'll continue to share the show with your umpire friends who you think would enjoy listening.

Join the Umpire Inspire Crew at www.umpireinspire.com and become a part of the Umpire Inspire community on Facebook.

Episode One premieres Tuesday, August 11. 

Thanks for listening! Let's do this!!

A very special privilege in this episode to hear from Little League’s Director of Umpire Development, Tom Rawlings!

In this fun and wide-ranging conversation, we discuss:

You could make a pretty strong case that Tom is responsible for the training and development of more umpires than anyone else in the world… and if that’s indeed true, then after listening to this episode I think you'll agree that every Little League volunteer umpire around the world is in very good hands. Enjoy!

The Umpire Inspire Podcast is for YOU! Connect and become a part of the UI crew at www.UmpireInspire.com.

Something a little different for you this week, Dear Listeners! In this episode I’d like to introduce you to TWO umpire friends of mine, Gerritt Nelson and Gary Smith. Gerritt and Gary are fellow Little League umpires with me here in Washington State District One. Gerritt is 16 years old; Gary is 76 years old. I thought it would be fun to bring them both on the show with the same set of questions and hear the differences or similarities between how Gerritt, a teenage umpire, approaches his craft as compared to Gary, a veteran umpire who has been doing it since well before Gerritt was born.

In some of the comments you hear, these gentlemen will be in perfect lockstep with one another in regards to philosophy and motivation; in others, their perspective will differ as a function of youth vs. experience. After meeting Gerritt and Gary I hope you might come away with an appreciation for the generational aspect of umpiring—the opportunity to connect with one another and to learn from one another, no matter what chapter of our umpiring story we’re currently writing. Enjoy!

The Umpire Inspire Podcast is for YOU! Connect and become a part of the UI crew at www.UmpireInspire.com.

Ever thought it would be cool to kick back around a fire, perhaps with a cold beverage in your hand, and swap stories with a current MLB umpire? Well, that's pretty much what you get (minus the fire and beverage) from this episode with MLB #73, Tripp Gibson! Tripp has always been held in high regard by your humble podcast host—both as a skilled umpire and as a generous, others-focused human being—and so it was a thrill to spend an hour in conversation with him. In our visit, Tripp shares stories of his journey to becoming an MLB umpire and thanks those who helped get him there; reveals some awkward (and hilarious) on-field moments; identifies some awesome partners he's worked with both coming up and in MLB; and shares his involvement with UmpsCare and why that organization means so much to him and to his family. If you're looking for a new up-and-coming MLB guy to root for and follow, well, just settle in, give this episode a listen, and I GUARANTEE you're going to be keeping an eye on #73 going forward. Enjoy!

The Umpire Inspire Podcast is for YOU! Connect and become a part of the UI crew at www.UmpireInspire.com.

Do you view your umpire job as a public service? Portland, Oregon softball umpire Jon Coney absolutely does. His clear-eyed view of WHY he volunteers as a Little League umpire is a great reminder of the many positive impacts—beyond just calling a good game—that a great umpire can make on a player's experience. You might come away from this episode with a transformed view of what you're really doing next time you step on to the field. Enjoy!

The Umpire Inspire Podcast is for YOU! Connect and become a part of the UI crew at www.UmpireInspire.com.

Part Two of our visit with retired MLB Umpire Dale Scott. In this episode Dale reveals his #1 most surprising thing about becoming an MLB umpire, describes his approach as an MLB Crew Chief and how his crews reacted to his style, and shares some interesting details about his plate stance. Plus—Dale answers questions submitted by the Umpire Inspire community!

Connect and become a part of the UI crew at www.UmpireInspire.com.

The Umpire Inspire Podcast is for YOU! I really want to hear what you think about the show. Get in touch anytime at [email protected] —I would be very happy to hear from you!

30+ year MLB Umpire Dale Scott stops by for a visit with Umpire Inspire! In Part One of our two-part conversation, Dale generously offers us his wisdom and advice on handling situations on the field, describes the mental toughness and resilience it takes to succeed at ANY level of umpiring, and even shares some very specific stories and tips on body language during discussions with managers. It was such a thrill and just a wonderful opportunity for me to visit with Dale, and I know you will enjoy our visit as much as I did!

Connect and become a part of the UI crew at www.UmpireInspire.com.

The Umpire Inspire Podcast is for YOU! I really want to hear what you think about the show. Get in touch anytime at [email protected] —I would be very happy to hear from you!

Softball umpire Daniel Mills has an Umpire Superpower: BALANCE. When we step on to a field, we all seek a balance between having fun and doing what is within our power to make it fun for the players, coaches and families, and taking our jobs seriously—not solemnly, not unhappily, but with the earnest intent to do our job in service to the game itself. Daniel has got that balance nailed, and you are going to appreciate his very thoughtful approach toward attaining that balance as a Little League and high school softball umpire. Enjoy!

Connect and become a part of the UI crew at www.UmpireInspire.com.

The Umpire Inspire Podcast is for YOU! I really want to hear what you think about the show. Get in touch anytime at [email protected] —I would be very happy to hear from you!

David Saball is an accomplished umpire from Arizona. In 2019 he was awarded “Most Outstanding Umpire” at a Wendelstedt clinic he attended; in 2018 and 2019 he worked MLB Spring Training games in Arizona; and he’s recently been offered positions in the North Woods Summer League and American Association Independent pro League. Oh, and did I mention… he’s 17 years old. 

If you have youth umpires in your league or association, you’re absolutely going to want to share this interview with them! Not many teenagers will find themselves calling an MLB Spring Training game like David has, but young umpires will really be encouraged to listen to one of their peers describe his journey and passion for umpiring, and tell some great stories. Enjoy!

Connect and become a part of the UI crew at UmpireInspire.com.

The Umpire Inspire Podcast is for YOU! I really want to hear what you think about the show. Shoot me an email anytime at [email protected] —I would be very happy to hear from you!