Rapid City's Tim Slama Named USA Softball Umpire of the Month

Timothy Slama is an eighth-year USA Softball Umpire. He started umpiring after a 20-year career in the Air Force.  In eight short years with USA Softball, Tim has already attended National Umpire Schools in Gillette, Wyo., West Fargo, N.D., Rapid City, S.D. and Sioux Falls, S.D.  Tim has also attended Slow Pitch advanced camps in Nebraska, Oregon and Georgia, two UIC Clinics (2013 and 2015) and six South Dakota State Umpire Clinics.

Tim has umpired in six USA Softball National Championships, including two trips to the Men’s A and Women’s Open Slow Pitch in Oklahoma City.  Tim is a member of the National Indicator Fraternity, a gold member of the Medals Program and is applying for Elite status this year in Slow Pitch.  Tim also scours the USA Softball website to find more opportunities for training or tournaments to work.  He has umpired five times at the McQuade Charity Softball Tournament in Bismarck/Mandan, N.D., with 650+ teams per year.  

As a local umpire in Rapid City, S.D., Tim is an assistant UIC for Slow Pitch and works with new umpires during the season and at mechanics clinics before the season starts, focusing on positioning, timing and signals.  Tim starting working Junior Olympic Fast Pitch in the past two seasons.  He finds that the young umpires learning and working JO Fast Pitch have some of the best questions and desire to learn and get better.  Fast Pitch and working with the young umpires has been an early highlight in Tim’s career.  He looks forward to attending more trainings so he can help train new and younger umpires in both Slow Pitch and Fast Pitch.

Tim served our country proudly for 20 years in the United States Air Force as an aircraft mechanic.  After training and tech school, Tim served a total of ten years in Florida, four years in Germany and five years in South Dakota.  After a distinguished military career, Tim now lives in Rapid City and officiates nearly every day, working softball, football, basketball and volleyball.

Congratulations August's USA Softball Umpire of the Month, Tim Slama!