SOFTBALL GAMES JUST A MONTH AWAY!

Training for the 2012 softball season is underway. See the schedule below. Veterans, your first session is this coming Sunday, February 19, at 6:45 p.m. in Room 101 in the Gonzaga University admin building (College Hall). First- and second-year umpires and transfers get started at 5:30 p.m. in Room 130. It's not too late to bring a friend or two. We had a couple more newbies join us on February 12.

How to find Room 130? When you enter the lobby area inside the main front doors, take a left (we go right to get to Room 101). You’ll pass through three sets of double doors - the second and third sets are within steps of one another. Room 130 is the third room on the left after you pass through the third set of double doors. We’ll have signs to help you find it.

We covered Rules 1 & 2 in the National Federation book (Field & Equipment and Definitions) on February 12 and will get into Rules 3 & 4 (Players, Substitutes & Coaches and Starting & Ending Game) on February 19. It’s a good idea to get into the rule book; come with questions. What you don’t understand likely is something others have questions about, too.

Th Board is requiring that to be eligible for postseason assignments, everyone must attend a minimum of five meetings. Veterans can attend any of the training, but there will be special training for them on their regularly scheduled nights.

NEWS & NOTES

Word from the ASA Northwest Region 15 Clinic in Kent, Wash., last weekend: “You missed a great party!” Some of the top softball minds in the country – and Canada, too, shared their knowledge. It was something we all need to take in, at least from time to time. There will be an ASA National Umpire School in the Region in 2013. Start now thinking about attending. We’ll have a site - and maybe even a date – soon. … Longtime SSUA umpire Rich Hobson, a former SSUA president and assignor, Spokane ASA Umpire in Chief, ASA Region 15 UIC and our uniform & equipment guy, was given Elite status by ASA in fastpitch. That’s the highest honor an ASA umpire can attain and makes him eligible to umpire the highest-level ASA tournaments. He’s the fourth SSUA umpire to reach Elite, the first in fastpitch. Active members Gary Kuck and Ron Snyder and retired former members Kent Walker and Randy Harris received the honor in modified pitch. … SSUA president Ken Mathia was named a Deputy Umpire in Chief by Spokane ASA commissioner Fuzzy Buckenberger, joining the staff of Randy Harnasch, who is in his third year as Spokane ASA UIC. … Retired Spokane ASA UIC Chuck Stewart, who stepped down following the 2009 season after serving for 16 years, was elected to the ASA Northwest Region 15 Hall of Fame. He will be inducted next January during the region’s annual council meeting, which will be in Oregon.

SPECIAL THANKS TO GONZAGA PREP!

Gonzaga Prep was an ideal and great training site for more than a decade. And we would have loved to continue there. However, during the summer, the school converted the Symposium Room, where we held the majority of our training meetings, into a computer room and it became no longer available. The alternate choice, the Black Box Theater, in which we held several meetings, we didn't feel was adequate for our long-term needs. Gonzaga University, which is used by many other local officials associations, became an attractive option so we made the change. We’re forever thankful to Gonzaga Prep for its hospitality through the years!

CAN’T FIND YOUR 1099? CONTACT HEIDE

If those who made $600 or more in 2011 didn’t retrieve their 1099 form, or anyone who didn’t print out their pay sheets from The Arbiter before they were eliminated this week during housekeeping, contact SSUA treasurer Heide Wehr.

2011 SSUA AWARD WINNERS!

Congratulations to ...

Campbell-Stewart: Dave Berghammer ... Presidential Pride: Gerald Howard ... Umpire of the Year-Adult: Paul Clary ... Umpire of the Year-Youth: Jeff Camp ... Most Improved-Adult: Bryan Raschka ... Most Improved-Youth: Brian Fife ... Rookie of the Year-Adult: Thomas Kirkpatrick ... Rookie of the Year-Youth: Andrew Ridgley ... Home Run Award: Ron Burke & Kyle Leeds.

Two longtime SSUA umpires announced their retirement after the 2011 season: Don Brock and Dave Sutton. Thanks, guys, for decades of great umpiring! You'll be missed.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?

The SSUA Board of Directors established an updated uniform policy that incorporates the uniform requirements for all the programs we do - WIAA (school ball), ASA, SSSUSA seniors and USSSA. The Uniform Guidelines can be found under "SSUA Policies" in "Documents & Materials" of this website.

Rich Hobson - 924-6531; rchobson@comcast.net - can be contacted for ASA and school uniforms and equipment.

2011 4TH OF JULY SHOOTOUT

Final brackets for the 2011 4th of July Shootout, along with Sportsmanship winners, and results from single-elimination bracket play are available in "Documents & Materials."