Our Vision, Mission and Values

We recently created Ump-Attire.com's vision, mission and values statement and wanted to share with all of you.

VISION
Progress of Officials, Officiating and Sports
Our vision is for sports officials to achieve greater satisfaction, safety, wellness and respect. Progress of officials and the officiating profession directly impact sports in a positive manner.

MISSION
Be the Worldwide Leader in Officiating Sporting Goods
Through innovative and quality products, exceptional service and experiences, superb execution, trusting relationships and community spirit

VALUES
These values directly reflect the company's uniqueness and provide a code of conduct upon which we lead, grow and work. We seek employees, vendors and partners that adhere to, practice and show initiative to maintain our common core values. Commitment to core values allows us more easily accomplish our mission, reach our goals and better realize our vision.

Being Remarkable
We value service, products and experiences that are remarkable and worth talking about.

Improvement and Learning
We value humility, skill building, education and knowledge. Continuous learning, both professionally and personally, leads to enlightenment and empowerment.

Being Creative, Adventurous and Open-minded
We value being adaptable, embracing new opportunities and change and having a courageous willingness to take risks.

Relationships
We value trusting relationships that fosters team and community spirit and care. We express it by remaining honest, open, genuine, transparent, authentic, understanding, generous and respectful.

Passion and Engagement
We value an environment that fosters care, competence, pride, performance, quality, commitment and selflessness. This ultimately leads to a positive work-life balance for all, one that leads to higher self-esteem, self-worth and satisfaction.

The Umpire School's Mark Stubblefield to Be Featured in Monthly Series

We are excited to announce a series of monthly tips during baseball season from Mark Stubblefield for baseball umpires.

Mark is the medical coordinator for The Umpire School (TUS). These tips came from discussions with Mark and his talk "Common Injuries for Umpires" he gives at TUS.

We'll place these on the Good Calls - Baseball and Umpiring Blog.

Planned Topics include:

• Collar bone protection through proper chest protector spacing
  
• Pre-game preparations for medical emergencies
• Post-concussions awareness
• Pre-game stretching and benefits
• Preventing heat illness
• Handling contusions

Drafts have already been completed for these articles. If you have had any issues with any of the above, e-mail me your story at jim@ump-attire.com, and we may incorporate it into the post.

Coop is Promoted to Sunbelt Conference

A big congratulations to our new field sales rep Brandon Cooper! He was just promoted to the Sunbelt Conference.

His umpiring schedule this NCAA baseball season will include games in the Big East, Ohio Valley Conference, Mid-South Conference and now the Sunbelt.

VIDEO: Staff Learns Umpire Mechanics with Mixed Results

As part of "The Greatest 1-Hour Umpire Clinic on Earth" at our December staff retreat, umpire Brandon Cooper attempts to pass along his mechanics skills to Anessa Arehart, marketing and sales.

 

Music by  Noel & John.  

Tailoring Services Performed at The Umpire School

In my opening talk with students of The Umpire School,  I shared with them that my main role here is to serve as a resource and an outfitter. I'm not just someone who is here just to sell them things.

I'm here to help if they have forgotten something, or something gets broken and needs replacing.  I'm also here to help the students with their choices so they feel more comfortable during their training.

Notice, I didn't use the word "tailor" in my opening talk, but when Nick Thul from New Jersey purchased a pair of the new Ump-Attire poly-wool base pants, I wanted to make sure he had an opportunity to wear them on the field while he was here.

I thought the hem-tape tailoring I performed on his pants turned out pretty well and I like the professional look of the poly wools on the field here at The Umpire School. They look pretty nice, don't you think? 

Good luck to Nick and the rest of the students!

Posted by Jim Kirk, CEO/President/Tailor of Ump-Attire.com and avid fan of sports and sports officials everywhere.

A CEO's Waking Thoughts at The Umpire School's Opening Day

Sometime before 6am. Vero Beach, Florida. Opening Day of Umpire School.

I know it's before 6am because I'm lying in my bed at the Vero Beach Sports Village and my alarm has not gone off yet. Someone is talking to me. It's the voice inside my head. You know the one. The one that is there every morning that tells you "hit snooze one more time". The one that infuses you with self-doubt before you even get going,  such as "why are YOU here?",  before you can even put your feet to the carpet.

In the book, "The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle", Steven Pressfield calls this voice "The Resistance". It's evolutionary and programmed in you to try and to distract you from the real work you should be doing, as well as keeping you from living the life you want to live.

What does your "resistance" say to you?

When our business had the opportunity to partner with the brand new The Umpire School (TUS), managed by Minor League Baseball, with lead instruction from PBUC (the arm that picks, trains and manages its umpires), I was more than thrilled.

One of our responsibilities at TUS is to open a mini-store for its students while they are in session. I drove a cargo van 15 hours from Louisville, Kentucky,  transporting the makings and goods to do exactly this at the facility that once was the LA Dodgers Spring Training Facility. Today is registration day and opening night. The first one ever for TUS.

Thoughts in my head - my resistance - include:

Will the store setup be all that TUS or I hoped it would be and can I get it setup before registration starts at noon? 

Justin Klemm, TUS Executive Director, told me that while I am here, I am considered part of their staff. What an honor, but these guys have over 150 collective years of umpiring experience. The most formal umpire training I have received was a half-day clinic to prepare me for my lengthy 2-year HS umpiring career nearly 20 years ago. Can I truly add something?

I spent some time last night with TUS's course materials. While comprehensive, there are things I, personally, would like to share with the future professional umpires of the world:

• The concept of umpires being the "ambassadors of the game". It is something bigger than the umpires themselves.
• Job satisfaction considerations, especially related to negative aspects from fans and others
• Consideration of gear and apparel as tools that allow you to feel comfortable, feel safe and to provide confidence.
• The perspective that students' gain here can also make a difference in their umpire community.

Will some of these be covered already? Does TUS really want me to share my perspective? Wouldn't it have been smart to have prepared such talks ahead of time?

Will my attempts this week to soak up information and asking lots of questions then sharing my thoughts through this blog and the Good Calls Baseball blog be a little intrusive or annoying?

Can I provide the leadership back at headquarters while I'm here this week? We are going through a significant organizational transition as we hire staff and try some new approaches. Can I stay focused here and not be distracted by company and staff needs?

Is this post even worth writing? Will anyone even read it? 

One of Pressfield's recommendations is to let what you are receiving the most resistance be your guide to what is most important. Then, to get working. The blog post serves as my starting point. Time to shower and get to it. Stay tuned.

Related Posts

• How is Umpiring Like Building Cathedrals?

Phone and Walk-In Hours Changed

In a recent effort to provide more learning and training opportunities for customer service staff and to push more customer service to social media and live chat (coming soon), we have changed our phone and walk-in hours from 9am-5pm to 10am-5pm (ET)*.

We realize we are cutting off time in the eastern time zone (for phone calls only - all other means of service begin before 9am), but mostly only that time zone where our call volume is less.

Jim Kirk, CEO/President said:

We strongly believe we have the highest trained customer service staff in the industry. We value that, but there is sadly a lot of turnover in customer service everywhere we look. We want to prevent that in ours by committing to our staff, pushing current technologies and through pursuing more proactive and efficient approaches to customer service.

We also value the connections we make face-to-face and by phone with our customers and will continue to ensure we are available in this way.

Our goal is that we develop an even more knowledgeable, responsive and core staff for our customers.

Feel free to share your thoughts on how we can make your experience a better one through our service to you.

3 of our service and marketing staff say goodbye at the end of the day.
(l to r) Anessa, Emily and Krista.

*Note: Walk-ins hours are Tuesday-Friday, 10am-5pm.

College and Former AAA Umpire Becomes Field Rep

We are proud to announce that one of the most respected umpires around is now working at Ump-Attire.com.

If you looked at Brandon Cooper's long line of credentials, you would think we hired him based on his umpiring experience alone.

• Graduate of Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring, 1999
• Minor League Umpire, 1999 - 2006
• NCAA Umpire, 1999 - Present

But you would be wrong. Jim Kirk, CEO/President of Ump-Attire.com noted:

"We hired Brandon to represent us based on his qualities that reflect ours - his integrity, character, reputation among his peers and passion for our company, for the profession and for those who serve in it.

I am always asked by good officials and people throughout the country to be a sales rep for us. And I've been waiting on just the right person to come along who really embodies what we are all about. That person is Brandon Cooper."

About his joining the team, Brandon says,

"Working with Ump-Attire.com allows me the unique opportunity to work with umpires and referees from all over the world on a daily basis. I enjoy working with officials who have the same passion for the craft as I do.

Ump-Attire.com truly is in the profession of helping to support the Profession of Officiating. Through my position, I will be able to work hard to help prepare you for your next "Big Game". I look forward to meeting you and seeing you around."

If you're wondering, Brandon worked Appalachian Rookie, South Atlantic A, Carolina A, Eastern AA, International AAA Leagues and currently umpires a complete schedule of Big East, Ohio Valley, DI Non- Conference, DII Regional 2011 and DIII games.

Brandon has hit the ground running. He instructed the "Greatest 1-Hour Umpire Clinic on Earth" with staff at our retreat Friday, has written a blog post titled "The Five Tool Umpire" and can be seen at upcoming NCAA Umpire Clinics in Chicago and Atlanta.

Meet Krista and Brandon at Chicago NCAA Umpire Clinic

Brandon demonstrates proper mechanics during a mini-clinic for our staff, while Krista stands in as the batter.

For the first time ever, Ump-Attire.com will be sending staff members that will not include Jim Kirk to an NCAA umpire clinic. No mutiny has occurred, at least not yet. Jim will be at The Umpire School in the Vero Beach that weekend.

Instead, you will have an opportunity to meet Krista Wolf, customer service manager and Brandon Cooper, former AAA umpire and current NCAA umpire now on our team.


Krista will bring her sweet disposition, energy and the ability to answer any questions you might have. Brandon will bring his expertise, product knowledge and enthusiasm.

We'll bring new products for you to touch, look at and try on along with some mainstays.

Note: We do not bring multiples of items to sell. Writing up your orders all day takes up time from getting to know each other. However, if there is something in particular you want to look at or to deliver an order to you, please email krista@ump-attire.com.

If at the NCAA Clinic at the Westin O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois on January 14th, please stop by and say hello.

Other NCAA Clinics:
Atlanta, January 21st
Philadelphia, January 28th

Posted by Jim Kirk, CEO/President of Ump-Attire.com.