PRINTOn the Job: Charles Harlow
Step up to the plate with Charles Harlow as he makes the calls with all eyes on him.
Alex Lewis
Weather permitting, Charles Harlow has spent the past five years umpiring softball and volleyball games in Columbia and surrounding areas. Harlow begins each season in April and finishes in August or September.
June 5, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
In the world of umpiring, you only get one strike. Umpires have to make the correct call in a split second. Charles Harlow, 60, has been a softball umpire for about five years. He shares the view from behind home plate.
Vox: Did you get into umpiring because it was a hobby?
Charles Harlow: I guess you could call it that. I’d been interested in sports all the time. Basically, the kids went to school, and I retired. I took an interest in it and started doing it.
Vox: What do you enjoy most about umpiring?
CH: I think it’s the competitive spirit. Even though you’re umpiring, you still have to be alert and on your toes and ready for anything to happen and trying to do your best.
Vox: What’s your least favorite part of umpiring?
CH: Probably the weather...when you have to umpire in inclement, cold weather or a muddy field. It’s been fine so far; the weather’s been cold.
Vox: Have you ever had to throw a player out for unruly behavior?
CH: I’ve never had to throw somebody out of a game. I usually try to use preventative measures. I try to do things that will eliminate the event of having to throw somebody out — tell them to slow down or cool it.
Vox: Do you ever have problems with parents or spectators?
CH: Not really. Some try to razz the umpire. Sometimes you’ll get some moans and groans if the crowd disagrees with your call.
Vox: Have you ever made a call you knew was wrong?
CH: I’m sure that happens to everybody. You just have to try to learn from it, I suppose. And next time around, if you’re in that situation, you’ll be ready to make a better decision.
Vox: What’s the camaraderie among umpires?
CH: When you umpire with somebody, you get to have their perspective on the game from their past experiences and the rules of the game that you might not know as well. I’ve gotten to know several of the umpires, and you converse with them off the field. You make good friends
that way.
