The game? Action-packed. The goal? To seamlessly blend in. Though her role is ultimately crucial to the outcome of the game, junior Siena Barg cannot be the star, something Softball Umpire-in-Chief of Sunset Softball Colby Cano notes is almost harder to do than being the center of importance.
“Siena projects a quiet confidence that she’s in charge, but she doesn’t do anything to distract from the game. If you’re watching one of her games, you’re not thinking she’s a junior umpire,” Cano said.
Barg, a member of the flag football team and basketball team at RUHS, began working as a junior umpire with Redondo Sunset Softball in 2022. Being that her younger sister Berkeley Barg is on a 12U division team at Sunset, Barg was recruited by Cano to join the new Junior Umpire program, which began in 2023, as a way to “re-invest” in the kids within the league. With no prior softball experience, Barg went through instructive and hands-on training led by Cano to prepare new recruits on the mechanics of the game in addition to handling adults on the field. Students as young as 12 and as old as 17 are participants in the program.
“Siena has added a maturity that you can’t necessarily teach. She is definitely one of my more valued umpires because I know that when she is umpiring the game, I don’t have to worry about sitting and watching the whole thing,” Cano said.
Cano typically pairs Barg with younger junior umpires within the program so they can learn from an older individual. Barg serves as a role model not only to her fellow umpires but also to the athletes in the game.
“I always introduce myself to the catcher and tell them a little bit about myself, and then I try to encourage them to do their best next time if they break a rule, like throwing a bat,” Barg said. “I’m the oldest umpire in this program, and I know a lot of the younger kids aspire to be an ump[ire] one day. It makes the whole game have a more positive mindset and makes it feel more personable.”
Umpiring games has also given Barg more responsibility and commitment, being able to sign up for her own shifts, dictate her schedule and stick to a routine. She has found that the job as a whole has also taken her outside of her comfort zone.
“When I umpire, it allows me to create almost an authoritative figure. I’ve created bonds with some of the kids, and the community is a large aspect of [what I enjoy], and I can remove myself from the day and become a different person and be more loud or confident,” Barg said.
To establish the Junior Umpire program and recruit more umpires into the Sunset community, Cano awarded Barg the first Junior Umpire of the Year award, as he felt she was most deserving of the recognition.
“Siena has become a mini-celebrity on the field. She is in the small group of people who are umpiring consistently and well enough that they are known by players who hope to have them,” Cano said. “She is already pretty advanced, and the feedback I give her is deep in the weeds. You tell her something, she takes it and executes it. There’s going to be big shoes to fill when she leaves.”
As a whole, Barg has remained dedicated to the program, and the umpire award has stood as a significant landmark for her efforts.
“I feel honored that I was the first to receive the [Umpire Award],” Barg said. “It makes me feel that I have to continue being a role model for the other ump[ire]s, and I want to keep improving my skill set.”
