The Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy provides umpire training and development for

umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per' ...

s in Minor League Baseball since 2012. Since Minor League Baseball Umpire Development's inception in 1997, every umpire hired by

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

has come through the Minor League Baseball Umpire Development system.

Facilities

The Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy is located at the

Historic Dodgertown Historic Dodgertown is a multi-sport facility in Vero Beach, Florida where athletes of all ages and skill levels have the opportunity to train, play, and stay together. The facility which includes the historic Holman Stadium was originally creat ...

sports facility in

Vero Beach, Florida Vero Beach is a city in and the seat of Indian River County, Florida, United States. Vero Beach is the second most populous city in Indian River County. Abundant in beaches and wildlife, Vero Beach is located on Florida's Treasure Coast. It is thi ...

. The campus includes classrooms, a Triple-A level approved stadium, four full-size baseball fields, eight indoor batting and pitching tunnels, 32 mounds/home plates for plate instruction, as well as a 60-yard agility and warm-up area and a mini-field used for base work."Our facilities". Historic Dodgertown. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
The campus also contains a weight room, locker rooms, four lighted tennis courts, a competition-size swimming pool, lighted tennis/basketball courts and a sand volleyball court. Historic Dodgertown-Vero Beach includes on-site housing and dining options for Umpire Training Academy students.

Entrance requirements

To be accepted to the Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy, individuals must be at least 18 years of age and in good physical condition. Candidates are not required to have prior experience in umpiring, as all students receive the same comprehensive training and evaluation. Applicants must submit a signed enrollment contract to complete the registration process and submit a minimum $200 deposit in order to be enrolled in the course.

Curriculum

Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy students receive 216 hours of instruction which is separated into three areas: classroom, field and plate work. Topics covered include effort and professionalism, base instruction, plate instruction and game and situation management.

Graduation requirements

Students at the Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy are graded on an overall pass or fail system for each course, based on satisfactory progress in the core competency areas and written examination scores. Upon satisfactory completion of the program, students are awarded a Certificate of Training.

MiLB Advanced Course

Top candidates from each Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy session are chosen to attend the MiLB Advanced Course, which takes place immediately following the Umpire Training Academy.

Staff

The core instruction staff of the Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy has considerable professional umpire experience, including at the

level. The Umpire Training Academy provides low student-to-instructor ratios.

References

* * * * * * * * * {{cite web, title=MiLB Announces Umpire Department Name Changes, url=http://www.closecallsports.com/2015/03/milb-announces-umpire-department-name.html, website=Close Call Sports, accessdate=23 July 2015 Baseball umpires Schools in Florida Educational institutions established in 2012 2012 establishments in Florida