Youth Baseball Officiating Takes Center Stage on Long Island
It’s a significant win for these young athletes.
The ongoing officiating shortage in youth sports is hitting Long Island hard, but this spring, a group of teenagers is stepping up to address the issue. They’re learning about officiating, hoping to ensure that their peers can enjoy the game properly.
“I’ve loved playing Little League since I was a kid, so it feels great to give back,” said 16-year-old Brandon Charles.
He’s among about 35 teens at Belmore-Merrick who signed up for AmpsCare’s six-week course to become certified by the 2026 baseball season. There’s an urgent need for referees.
Veteran umpire Mike Herring pointed out that the player shortage is so critical that middle school teams often resort to scrimmages, while high school junior varsity teams might have to make do with just one official.
“This is negatively impacting the kids’ growth,” said Herring, who has been officiating for 25 years, from Little League to the pros.
“They’re missing out on the real game experience,” he added.
Building Confidence
Herring now dedicates Monday nights to mentoring aspiring officials aged 13 to 18, aiming to enhance the game for everyone involved.
Belmore-Merrick is currently the only district on Long Island with such a program, and AmpsCare hopes to expand this initiative throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties after its initial success on the South Shore.
Alongside basic training on calling balls and strikes, Herring and his team also prepare the teens to build confidence as independent financial contractors.
“Confidence is crucial,” Herring remarked, noting that anticipating strike calls can significantly improve their performance.
“If you seem confident, the reactions from parents and players will often be better,” he shared.
From a neutral perspective, Charles found he appreciated “more aspects of baseball” while observing this year’s spring training—not just the players, but the referees as well.
He mentioned catching moments on TV where a pitch seemed like a strike, but thanks to his training, he recognized it was actually outside the zone.
“I see how vital umpires are. It doesn’t matter if you make a bad call, as long as you focus on getting the next one right,” Charles explained.
Challenges Ahead
The presence of entitled and abusive parents has played a huge role in driving officials away from the sport across the country over the past decade, Herring noted. This concern is central to the AmpsCare curriculum.
Ryan Luisi, a sophomore, recalled the harsh realities from his Little League experience, which motivated him to become a referee.
“Parents yelling at refs happens every game,” he said, remembering extreme comments like, ‘Let’s meet in the parking lot.’ He added that he’s heard such threats numerous times.
Senior Matthew Malerba agreed, remarking, “Sometimes parents can be really aggressive. It takes guts to manage that.”
Herring hopes that when parents see teenagers officiating games, they might start being more respectful, recognizing that local ballparks aren’t exactly stadiums.
If not, well, this program is also about teaching how to handle unruly parents.
“Be respectful when talking to parents. Explain what you see… try to calm things down,” advised Charles.
The teens and Herring concur that learning conflict resolution is a vital skill. If they can tackle a heated situation at a baseball game, they can certainly apply those skills in other aspects of life.
Herring hopes these budding officials will not only continue officiating and help alleviate the shortage but perhaps even make it to the big leagues one day.
“You have to climb the ranks—from college ball to Single-A, Double-A, Triple-A, and then to the majors. It’s a system similar to any other baseball organization,” he concluded.
