Developing character, one call at a time

It’s not about the notoriety for Matt Melton.

He’d probably rather go unnoticed on the baseball field when he’s umpiring games.

But someone was watching, and now the 54-year-old retired police officer, who worked in the San Diego area, will return to California with a little bigger audience than the one’s he’s been in front of for the past 10 years in North Idaho.

Melton was selected to umpire during the upcoming Little League West and Northwest regional tournaments in San Bernardino, Calif., Aug. 5-11.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Melton said. “As a volunteer, to get to go down, it’s great.”

Melton, of Hayden, also umpires area high school and American Legion baseball games. During his time in California, Melton also officiated high school and college football.

“My dad (David) was a lifetime official,” Melton said. “He worked football, baseball and did some pro baseball for a stint. It’s been part of my life since I was a kid. After Little League, my dad coached my team every year. After I got done with school, I was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. I just decided to stay in school and got into officiating. And it’s really all my dad and I talk about. We talk about that and the stuff that goes on the field. I love it.”

Melton added that his favorite part of umpiring, especially at the Little League level, is watching the players grow.

“I just like giving back in the sense that it helps kids develop character,” Melton said. “When I’m on the field, I’m helping develop kids into being better adults. You help develop better adults, and with the amount of time and effort that kids put into sports, it’s nice to be there and support that. It’s my job to be on the field and be the best I can be and make sure things are within the rules and reward all the families, coaches and volunteers with a good event. You spend a lot of time talking to coaches and board members about providing that for their program. It’s my life and I’ve been doing this for 27 years. There’s nothing else I’d rather do.”

“What I enjoy about Matt is the fact that he is a detailed person with his pregame preparation, no matter what the level of play is,” District 1 Umpire in Chief Brian Rounds said. “He studies rules, situations and how to interpret a play on the field and helps everyone around him understand what just happened. I know Matt is going to be at the right position or angle for his calls and I trust Matt will have my back on plays where umpire communication is critical. He always hustles and moves very well on the field and communicates great with coaches.”

Umpires for the Little League regional tournaments are strictly volunteer. Melton has to pay for his flight to and from California, but will stay in the umpire dorm at the stadium. They eat with the players, so food and lodging is taken care of.

“There’s nothing else like being a volunteer and giving your complete heart and effort into something,” Melton said. “It’s not about you. It’s about the board, volunteers and those people that set up and tear down after each game. It’s a community program. As my son (Jared) went through Little League, he got to see me put my time into something valuable for him. And you see the results of that. There’s nothing better than having kids coming up to you after the game and saying ‘Thank you’. It’s not about me as an umpire. It’s about every volunteer and the impact we make in life.”

So if he were asked if he’d rather officiate or play the game, it’s a simple answer.

“If I was asked to play at a higher level, I wouldn’t do it,” Melton said. “When you’re officiating, you miss a lot of other things happening like a diving catch because you’re watching to make sure a player touches the base on time.”

Melton is the only representative from Idaho to be selected for the San Bernardino regionals. Prospective umps are nominated by local administrators. Little League regional administrators make the final call.

“It’s a nice reward for being a volunteer,” Melton said. “It’s nice to have the opportunity to do what I love to do in a bigger setting. Being a part of a world-wide organization, it’s going to be a fantastic experience.”

Melton said he’s been to San Bernardino before for an umpiring school held just before the start of the regional.

“It’s an intense program, but a lot of fun,” Melton said. “My goal is to go down, relax and have fun. It’s about the kids. As umpires, we just want to sneak on the field before the game starts and off when the game ends.”

Melton joins a long list of umpires from this area who have been selected for San Bernardino.

“The District 1 umpire program has to be one of the best in the country,” Melton said. “The knowledge, the support and the camaraderie is great. Those guys that have gone in front of me, they’re great umpire brothers. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. My dad has always told me that the best part of being an official is the friends you make along the way.”

“We have been very fortunate over the last eight years since I went to San Bernardino in 2010 to umpire,” Rounds said. “Including Matt this year, our district will have sent four guys in eight years to umpire the West Regional baseball tournament (the others being Rounds, Torben Begines and Don Salzman). That is pretty amazing and is a testament to the commitment we have with the local volunteer Little League umpires. That’s 100 percent volunteering, a lot of time preparing and doing regular and postseason games for free. I’m blessed and honored to lead a group of guys that committed to upholding courage, character and loyalty.”

And that goes for everyone involved with umpiring games at the District level.

“I hold this group of guys to high standards by using approved West Region Little League mechanics taught in San Bernardino each year,” Rounds said. “Matt and others have put in hard work to get better and they are rewarded with being selected with this regional tournament. This tournament is truly a great honor and I’m very proud of Matt. I know he will represent North Idaho very well.”

On Sunday, the Coeur d’Alene 12U team qualified for the Northwest Regional in San Bernardino. It’s unlikely Melton will call games involving Coeur d’Alene, Rounds said.

“I enjoy working with Matt because he is always working on his game management, mechanics and communication skills,” Rounds said. “I constantly preach to pause, read and react. These are essential mechanics to any umpire on every call and Matt truly takes this to heart on every play of the game. Matt has a calm spirit about him and stays very cool under pressure. He is a consummate professional on and off the field.”

Melton said that someday going to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., as an umpire isn’t something he’s chasing right now.

“I love the game,” Melton said. “If Williamsport happens, that’s great. If not, it doesn’t change anything that I do.”