Softball Ontario Fastpitch Rookie Umpire of the Year

from the Softball Ontario Junior Blue newsletter

We were extremely pleased to present Ayden Allen of Orleans, ON with the inaugural Fast Pitch Rookie Umpire of the Year award. Ayden is seen receiving his award at the annual Umpire Awards Banquet held recently in Markham. Ayden is a 16 year old Level 1 FP/SP umpire with the Orleans Amateur Fastball Association. He is a student at Sir Wilfred Laurier High School and will be 17 in May 2012. He plays in two high school bands, plays football (courses permitting) in the fall, and plays fastball in the Orleans Amateur Fastball Association.

He began umpiring Mite and Squirt house league ball in Orleans in 2008 and has progressed through the various divisions, doing Jr. Women house league, Novice, Pee Wee and Bantam select, some OIWFA Ladies exhibition games, as well as Special Olympic SP games during the 2011 season.

He is a hard working young umpire who is eager to learn, works hard on his game, and plans on taking his Level 2 clinic this spring.

This past fall, Ayden also received the 2011 OAFA Junior Umpire of the Year award, presented by OAFA president Rob Douthwright. OAFA is the Orleans Amateur Fastball Association where Ayden does the majority of his games.

And after the ceremony, they got a picture of Ayden with his proud grandfather, Dick Coleman who is also a very active umpire in Orleans and elsewhere in the Ottawa area. I guess it runs in the family as Dick was the very deserving recipient of the prestigious Softball Canada Umpire of the Year Award in 2009.