Waverly Parks and Rec asks for more umpires as baseball gets into full swing

WAVERLY, Neb. (KLKN) — For many families, summer ball is the first step onto the field and into a lifelong love of the game.

“They’re having fun with it,” coach Jared Carr said. “That’s the most important part to get the experience.”

Kids ages 3 and up are stealing bases and hitting home runs this summer.

But the Waverly Parks & Recreation Department said this season, it’s running short on umpires.

Carr said it’s essential to have every position.

“You can’t effectively have these games if you don’t have all of the positions filled,” he said. “It’s a thankless job, not that it’s difficult by any means to volunteer coach these kids. For umpires, too, they’re an essential part of these things that just needs to be filled.”

And with more players, he said he is seeing more community turnout as well.

“We just kept getting more and more additions to the team, which is great,” he said. “The more turnout, the more involvement, and obviously that adds to the fans in the stands, with parents and grandparents, and there’s a lot of extended family that come. Just for my kids, there’s usually a cheering section.”

The growth of the summer baseball league also means it needs more umps.

Carr said having these opportunities for kids can teach them so much.

“It teaches you a lot about discipline, working with teammates, the drive to work harder than everyone around you,” he said. “Especially as you get a little bit older and progress in those things.”