Umpiring staff announced for XI WBSC Softball Junior Women's World Championship

March 20, 2015

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 20, 2015

 

Umpiring staff announced for XI WBSC Softball Junior Women's World Championship

 

OKLAHOMA CITY — Twenty-four umpires have been appointed to the umpiring staff for the XI World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Softball Junior Women's World Championship to be held August 9-15 in Oklahoma City, Okla.  Of the 24 umpires selected, five umpires will represent the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America/USA Softball as Tim Ellis (Grand Prairie, Texas), Lee Folsom (Adel, Ga.), Laura Head (Sinal Hill, Calif.), Katrina Kershaw (Lakewood, Calif.) and Geri Magwire (Tempe, Ariz.) hail from the U.S.

 

Click here to see the complete umpiring staff for the 2015 WBSC Junior Women's World Championship

 

Ellis began his umpiring career in baseball during the 1989 season before he embarked on his first ASA/USA softball game in 1996.  Switching solely to softball in 1999, Ellis received his first major assignment at the ASA/USA 18U GOLD National Championship in Chattanooga, Tenn.  Since then, Ellis has been assigned to four major ASA/USA National Championships and currently serves as the Fort Worth ASA/USA Umpire-in-Chief (UIC).  On the international scene, Ellis has umpired in two events: the Canadian Open Fast Pitch International in 2012 and the World Cup of Softball in 2013.  Ellis is a member of the National Indicator Fraternity, the ASA/USA Umpire Medals Program at the Gold Level and became an Elite Umpire in 2007.

 

"ASA/USA Softball and international softball has given me and my wife more life experiences than we could have imagined," said Ellis.  "I am honored to be associated with ASA/USA Softball and I am honored just to be nominated for this assignment and to be selected for it." 

 

Folsom also began his umpiring career in baseball at the age of 14 before moving to softball in 1989.  After gaining a few years of experience under his belt, he was assigned to his first ASA/USA National Championship in 1994 at the ASA/USA Girls' 12-Under Slow Pitch Nationals in Tifton, Ga.  Since that time, Folsom has umpired in over 20 ASA/USA National Championships in both slow and fast pitch.  He also has an international softball event on his resume as he was a member of the 2013 umpiring staff at the World Cup of Softball.  A member of the National Indicator Fraternity, Folsom is also a Gold Level Umpire and earned his Elite status in 2013.  He currently serves as the Assistant State UIC for Georgia ASA/USA.

 

"Being selected to umpire in such an elite tournament is truly an honor and an achievement that comes from dedication to the sport of fast pitch softball," said Folsom.  "Reaching this goal is very rewarding as there have been a lot of long hours spent in the classroom and on the field trying to get to this point.  ASA/USA Softball represents the highest level of softball in the U.S. and I am proud not only to represent my country in the tournament, but ASA/USA Softball as well."

 

Starting her umpiring career at the age of 14, Laura Head became a member of the National Indicator Fraternity six years later in 1999.  In total, Head has worked three ASA/USA National Championships, the Women's Class A Fast Pitch National Championship in 2005 and the 2007 and 2009 ASA/USA 18U GOLD National Championships.  On the international scene, Head has umpired in two recent events, including the Pan American Games Qualifier in 2013 and the 2014 World Cup of Softball.  In addition to her National Indicator Fraternity accolades, Head is also Gold Level umpire and earned her Elite status in 2011. 

 

"I am honored and humbled to be able to represent our country and ASA/USA Softball in such a prestigious tournament," said Head.  "I feel fortunate to be given this opportunity."

 

Magwire began umpiring in 1995 and earned her National Indicator Fraternity honors four years later.  Magwire earned her first ASA/USA National Tournament assignment in 1997 at the ASA/USA Girls' 16U National Championship.  Since that time, she has worked eight additional National Championships, including a Women's Major Fast Pitch National Championship and two ASA/USA 18U GOLD National Championships.  In addition to her National Indicator Fraternity honors, Magwire is also an Elite Umpire and a member of the Gold Level of the ASA/USA Umpire Medal Program. 

 

"I'm just so grateful to be given this opportunity to participate in what is a long tradition of excellence in umpiring," said Magwire.  "I've been umpiring for over 20 years, so to be asked to participate in such an exceptional event while representing ASA/USA Softball is truly amazing!  I have so many people to thank for this opportunity.  It's been a long wait, but I'm humbled and very grateful.  I look forward to the umpires I will meet and the new friends that I will make as these are the greatest rewards of umpiring."

 

Slated for August 9-15, the WBSC Softball Junior Women's World Championship will be held at the legendary ASA Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City, Okla.  This marks the first time since 1987 that Oklahoma City has held this event, while this is the first time the ASA Hall of Fame Complex will host a Junior Women's World Championship. 

 

Tickets for the week-long event as well as participating teams can be found on the tournament website at 2015JWWC.com. 

 

About ASA/USA Softball 
Founded in 1933, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball is the National Governing Body Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, ASA/USA Softball sanctions competition in every state through a network of 74 local associations and has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 165,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.5 million.  ASA/USA is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine World Championship titles as well as claimed eight World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about ASA/USA Softball, please visit http://www.asausasoftball.com/.

 

About the World Baseball Softball Confederation

Headquartered in the Olympic Capital city of Lausanne, Switzerland, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) was established in April 2013 and granted recognition as the sole competent authority in baseball and softball by the International Olympic Committee at the 125th IOC Session in September 2013. The WBSC represents a united baseball/softball sports movement that encompasses over 65 million athletes worldwide. The WBSC governs all international competitions involving any of the National Teams of its 141 National Federation members.  The WBSC oversees the Softball World Championships, The Premier 12, the World Baseball Classic, and the U12, U15, U18, U21 and Women's Baseball World Cups.  For further information, please go to www.WBSC.co or follow the WBSC on Twitter at @WBSC_co.

 

 

Codi Warren

 

Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications

Amateur Softball Association of America/USA Softball

Office 405.425.3431 | Cell 405. 420. 2817