Please Review This Entire Message, As It Includes Several Updates

CBUA Umpires,

Please review this entire message, as it includes several updates.

Late yesterday you should have received an email with NCAA registration information. Every CBUA umpire needs to follow the directions to complete your NCAA registration. Remember this is paid for already by your CBUA dues -- you'll see at the end of the registration module that it will show you already paid. (This module will only work for CBUA members.)CBUA members oining in the last couple of days and those joining down the road--will be added to the NCAA CBUA-paid sire and given registration information at the time we enter them into their CBUA membership. Please note that the registration asks you to check the conferences you work for--make sure you check all that apply to you, even if they are conferences not assigned by the CBUA--your NCAA registration needs to include all conferences you work for. If, at this time, you're not sure which conference(s) you'll be assigned to in 2011, simply check those that you deem most likely. If you have not yet ever been assigned to any conference at any level and you're not sure which ones to check, simply leave them blank. Immediately following is a copy of the email you should have received from the NCAA (of course, you'll need your individual email to complete the process).

NCAA email sample follows . . .

As you know, your membership and dues paid to CBUA includes prepayment of your 2011 registration fee on the NCAA Baseball website ( ). That registration also includes the NCAA Baseball Welcome Package that includes the 2011 -12 NCAA Rule Book, 2011 CCA Mechanics Manual and a gift certificate from Honig's. The Welcome Packages will begin mailing inDecember when the publications are shipped to ArbiterSports for distribution.

In order to properly register as an NCAA Baseball umpire you need to complete the registration process on the website , clicking on the Registration Tab and making sure your information is properly entered. Collegiate Baseball Umpire Alliance (CBUA) has already been selected on the conferences page. Please select all conferences you will umpire in the coming year, including those covered by the CBUA. I have provided your name and email address to ArbiterSports and they have loaded you into the system as having paid for the 2011 season. When you complete the registration process you will see that has been noted when you get to the payment step.

Please use the following sign in email address and password to log in to the NCAA baseball website. If you have any problems logging in or further questions please contact Nate Evans () or Rose Mary Hontz () .

If you have any questions regarding your CBUA membership please contact me.

More CBUA News . . .

Please also note that when you paid your CBUA dues, it was stated that your membership included a "gift." I've worked with Dick Honig to secure a stop watch for every CBUA member. This will likely be the Robic CountUp & CountDown Timer. You should receive your CBUA gift in a delivery from Honigs likely before the holidays. More on a firm delivery date later. You are not required to use this particular watch if you already have a different one that you prefer. I just figured with the new timing rules coming into college baseball that this would be a good gift for the 2011 season.

I am just starting the assigning process. This will continue for a couple of months and I hope to have the majority of the assignments completed before the holidays. I tend to vet some of the D-I conference assignments with individual umpires before putting them into Arbiter for final acceptance.

I will email more news next week about our NCAA Meeting/CBUA Meeting slated for January 29-30 in Chicago near O'Hare Airport. It will include NCAAonline meeting registration information and hotel information, etc. Please note that we will finish no later than 1:00 p.m. on Sunday--to be on the safe side, please do notmake travel/flight plans that have you departing prior to2:00 p.m.on Sunday.

MIA--If anyone knows an umpire by the name of Ralph Wilcott II, please send me his email address or have him contact me. He sent in a check to join CBUA, but did not include any contact information.

Coordinator's first official thought for 2011 . . . for those of you not used to staying in good physical condition year round . . . now is the time to begin yourdiet, exercise and fitness program. Particularly at the D-I level, the days of overweight, slow, non-athletic umpires are in the past.You need to be in good health and good physical fitness to continue to receive top assignments . . . conferences are particularly concerned about umpires working post-season who are not physically fit. You've probably heard that there are several D-I conferences around the country this year that will be mandating physical fitness testing (i.e. timed mile run, timed multiple 40's, etc.) these conferences will not assign any umpire who is not capable of passing their test. While we have not yet initiated mandatory fitness testing, I can assure the lack of appropriate physical fitness will likely jeopardize individual assignments in the future.

Richard Fetchiet, CBUA Coordinator of Baseball Umpires