In less than a month, softball teams from the high school varsity level on down will be starting their regular seasons, and players are already thinking about throwing strikes, staying in front of the ball and bunting to move runners over.

Dennis Crowe, on the other hand, is worrying about getting enough umpires to cover all of the girls’ games that are scheduled.

“There’s a wicked shortage of umpires,” he says. “There are days when we have just enough. If a couple of umpires get sick, we wouldn’t be able to fill the games.”

Crowe is the secretary/treasurer of the Western Maine Board of Federation Softball Umpires. He hopes to remedy the shortage by bringing in another 30 umpires, and he’ll be holding clinics to train the new umps this month.

Right now there are about 90 individuals who officiate games at the varsity, JV, freshmen and middle school levels, but that isn’t enough.

“If we had 120, 125 we’d be pretty comfortable,” Crowe says.

Becoming an umpire involves, at first, a discussion of the rules and then, closer to the season, practice out on a field. The clinics will be held at the Gorham Middle School on March 15, 20, 22, 27 and 29, with a 6:30 starting time. Prospective high school umps need to attend at least three of the clinics.

For more information contact Dennis Crowe at 839-8967 or [email protected].