I’m with the Channel Coast Officials Assn., which provides officials at high school games from Calabasas to Santa Barbara. Plate umpire Jeff Sill, left, and base umpire Gary Bernstein arrive for the Newbury Park-Thousand Oaks game May 17. Base umpire Gary Bernstein, left, and Thousand Oaks High School coach Jack Wilson, a former MLB shortstop, have a chat. After watching MLB plays get overturned on replay, high school infielders hold tags longer in the hope runners overslide the bag. Advancing as a high school umpire is not unlike advancing as a player: begin at the freshman level, move up to JV, then to varsity.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 27, 2021 11:32 UTC