USA Softball: Three USA Softball umpires selected to call at 2019 WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship

April 18, 2019

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Three USA Softball umpires selected to call at 2019 WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 18, 2019 Web Release: Link

OKLAHOMA CITY — Three umpires from the United States have been selected to represent the USA Softball umpire program internationally in the 2019 season as the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) recently released the list of umpires for the Men’s Softball World Championship.  Slated for June 13-23 in Prague, Czech Republic, Jon Hand (Maple Park, Ill.), Greg Pohl (Rock Island, Ill.), and Dave Selden (Reese, Mich.) have been assigned to the WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship.   “To receive an assignment to a WBSC World Championship is a true testament to the skills and abilities of a USA Softball umpire,” said USA Softball Director of Umpires, Kevin Ryan. “Representing your country on the international stage is an extraordinary honor for our umpires along with the entire USA Softball umpire program.  To be recognized by the WBSC is a credit to the work and dedication that these individuals have put into their career, and we know that they will represent USA Softball very well this summer and beyond.”   Hand (USA Softball of Illinois) recently umpired at the 2018 Intercontinental Cup while additional international experience includes the 2017 Men’s International Challenge Cup (Auckland, New Zealand) and 2015 Men’s Softball World Championship (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada). Pohl (USA Softball of St. Louis) also has previous international umpiring experience, including the 2001 then-International Softball Federation (ISF) JO World Cup (Plant City, Fla.), 2004 Canada Cup, (Surrey, B.C., Canada), 2004 ISF Champion’s Cup (Irvine, Calif.), 2008 ISF Junior Men’s World Championship (Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada), and 2013 ISF Men’s World Championship (Auckland, New Zealand). Selden’s (USA Softball of Michigan) most-recent international assignment came at the 2018 WBSC Junior Men’s World Championship (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada).   It is evident that the opportunity to umpire internationally and at the elite level gives umpires plenty of memories to last a lifetime, because umpires, representing countries all over the world, are able to share their passion and love for the game.   “Being selected gives me the opportunity to be part of the best game in the world and have a front row seat to watch the best softball players in the world play the game at its most elite level,” continued Hand. “I look forward to seeing umpire colleagues from around the world that I have met at previous events and also meeting new friends as well. It is truly amazing when I think about the opportunities the game of softball has given me and all the great people along the way I have met because of it.”   “I am excited about the opportunity and proud to represent USA Softball and USA Softball of St. Louis this summer as an umpire at the WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship held in Prague, Czech Republic,” said Pohl. “It truly is an honor to represent the U.S. at this event. I look forward to some great competition from the teams, meeting umpires from around the world and building new friendships.”   “I am truly honored to represent USA Softball along with USA Softball of Michigan as an umpire at the WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship in Prague, Czech Republic in June,” said Selden. “I am looking forward to meeting umpires from around the world and building new friendships. This is going to be a trip of a lifetime to some place that I would have never had the opportunity to go to without softball.”      Umpires are selected to represent the United States at WBSC-sanctioned events through their affiliation with USA Softball, the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States.  To find out how you can become a WBSC-certified umpire, please visit USASoftball.com.   About USA Softball USA Softball is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., and is designated as the National Governing Body (NGB) of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, USA Softball sanctions competition through a network of Local Associations, which includes all 50 states and select metro associations.  USA Softball is dedicated to providing people of all ages the opportunity to play the game they love at a variety of levels by offering recreational, league, tournament and competitive play for fast pitch, slow pitch and modified pitch.  USA Softball annually conducts thousands of tournaments throughout the country including over 100 National Championships.  The USA Softball umpire program is among the nation’s largest and are widely known as the best trained umpires in the game.    As the NGB for the sport of softball, USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in events such as the Olympics, Pan American Games, World Championships and other international and domestic events. For more information on USA Softball, including its founding and history as the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), please visit, www.USASoftball.com. Â

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