Pickering umpire working women's softball
Aug 20, 2008 - 08:43 AM
Brad Kelly
BEIJING -- He's not an athlete at the Olympic Games, but that doesn't mean Greg Pipher hasn't enjoyed the experience just like those going for gold, silver and bronze.
The Pickering resident is one of two Canadians working behind the plate or on the bases of the women's softball event, which has been staged at the Fengtai Sports Center Softball Field in Beijing.
"This has been absolutely amazing," he said on the way to the dressing room after working third base of a semifinal game between the United States and Japan on Wednesday morning.
"The Chinese people have been amazing. We came over here worried about pollution and we were worried about how we were going to be treated, were we going to be safe. (We're) Absolutely safe. Everything has been top notch," from the airport, to the hotel, to the venues, he said.
A Level V international umpire, Pipher was one of six umpires who had their names submitted by Softball Canada for consideration to work the Games. Back in October of 2007, he received word from the International Softball Federation Congress that he was selected to go. It was the culmination of 22 years of umpiring.
The experience has lived up to the expectations, despite the grind of working a lot of games in a short period of time.
"It has been incredible," he gushed. "That last ball game (U.S. vs. Japan) is a testament to that. A lot of close ball games. We've had a lot of fun.
"You get out there and you have 13,000 people and they are waiting for every call. Your adrenaline is up just like the ball players."
With Canada out of the medal games, Pipher was expecting to get to be part of the crew working the gold medal game. Umpires for that game are selected based on performance, and whether the country they represent is playing. Not working those games eliminates a conflict of interest.
As for the best part. Well, that was an easy question.
"Doing the ball games," he said, despite having to work a couple of extra innings on Wednesday. "Being out there for nine innings, yea it's a long ball game, but that was awesome."
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