Youth umpire camp held in memory of Iowa native, former MLB umpire

Date:2025-07-31 23:45:35 Category:US Views:2 Comment:0

DES MOINES, Iowa — A national organization is honoring the life of former MLB umpire and Iowa native Eric Cooper by hosting an annual youth umpire camp in Des Moines.

UMPS Care is a national organization that began hosting its camps in Des Moines two years ago, with fundraising assistance from the Cooper family. The main goal of this camp is to teach kids age 13-18 how to umpire as well as life skills.

The six-week camp is free for campers due to the fundraising efforts by the Cooper family. This year, Des Moines native and former MLB umpire Mike Everitt helped kick off the event on July 30.

Iowans visiting Hawaii experience tsunami scare

“It’s all to further and teach young men and women umpiring skills and life leadership skills that they can take further down their life,” Everitt said.

Everitt also said that his goal is to teach kids not only how to umpire, but life skills such as how to communicate, time management, and how to diffuse conflict.

J.P. Richardson is also one of the camp instructors while also serving as an umpire supervisor and trainer for USSSA Iowa. He says that after the camp, attendees get to partake in a very unique opportunity.

“When they complete the six-week program, they’re able to come to an (Iowa) Cubs game and they’re able to go visit the umpire locker room, get some words of wisdom from the triple-A umpires, which are right there at the cusp,” Richardson said. “They’re kind of the best of the best because they’re knocking at the door and they get to just spend the day at the ballpark and see it from an umpire’s view pre-game. And then they get to enjoy the game. So, it’s a lot of fun.”

Kids aged 13-18 can still register for the last five weeks of the camps. It is from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. each Wednesday at Des Moines North High School. To register, click on this link.