USAFLUA President’s Update – August 26, 2024
USAFL UA Umpires!
Greetings from your board and we hope everyone is enjoying the second half of the season.
Hard to believe that it is only two months until Nationals, but as of right now, we are in full swing getting prepared. We anticipate that the event in Austin, TX will be the same size as last year’s in Sarasota, FL and we will be looking for everyone to step up and be a part of the largest footy carnival in the world! More information about the Nationals can be found at https://usafl.com/nationals/2024.
Here are some updates for everyone to be aware of:
1) Our pay rates were increased in 2024 by $5 across the board. Those working the two Regional tournaments should have seen that reflected in their pay. If you are not sure of the rates, go to Umpire Pay Rates – USAFL Umpires Association (usaflua.org)
2) You should have received an email from Jeff/Toby as Tournament Director with a link to the Nationals Survey. Please fill that out quickly so we can get busy on all the various aspects of preparation. Thank you to the nearly 50 of you who have already responded! We have 29 confirmed attendees and we anticipate needing 60-65, so even now we are halfway there! Please contact Jeff at jeff.persson@usafl.com for more information.
3) In addition to the upcoming virtual clinic on Monday, September 16, 8pm ET/5 pm PT (for which we will be sending a separate notice with the agenda) we are building a more rigorous Nationals Clinic agenda to include Boundary umpire training as well. These are excellent opportunities for umpires at all levels to keep learning and work toward accreditation and re-accreditation.
4) I am pleased to announce that the Board approved on Monday that all umpires working at Nationals this year will receive a USAFLUA gear bag (yes, with our logo on it!) for you to have for all your umpire gear!
5) Last and not least: We will have our Annual General Meeting on Friday night of Nationals. As you likely know, we elect half our board members each year with each serving a two year term. And as not all of these positions will have an incumbent, we are seeking those who are interested in helping run the UA. This is a great way to get involved. Be aware that current board members may be reaching out to you to gauge your interest, but even if you don’t receive a call, you can still reach out to us! There is a nomination form, but you don’t have to wait to see if someone nominates you – you can nominate yourself!
So there you have it: two months to go until we gather again for our annual bash. If you have questions, please reach out. And we look forward to seeing everyone again in Texas. YeeeHaaww!
Play On!
Jonathan Mills
“Millsy”
President
USAFL Umpires Association
Info@USAFLUA.org