Umpires from across the country are in Napanee, Ont., this week for the Canadian Under-19 Boys Fastball championships.
Among the dozens of men in blue is Napanee’s own Brad Weese, who was selected to officiate games in his own backyard.
“For me, it’s a huge honour,” said Weese, who has been an umpire for 17 years.
“This is the biggest tournament that we can get to go to so for me to be selected was a special feeling of accomplishment.”
Weese, who is well known in the Napanee area, doesn’t feel any added pressure to officiate the home games. He simply calls them the way he sees them.
“There’s a few nerves because these are big games with a lot of intensity, but you let your experience and knowledge take over and everything usually turns out fine.”
Weese, a veteran rule enforcer in the Kingston Senior Men’s Fastball League, says you can always find ways to be a better umpire, and this week he plans to learn from some of the best in the country.
“We’ve got umpires from coast to coast, British Columbia to Nova Scotia and even one from Washington, D.C. It’s a great opportunity to be able to work with different umpires and pick up tips on how to get better,” he said.
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