MORGANTOWN — If it’s a day that ends in ‘Y,’ Derek Smith is likely in one of two places — at a softball diamond or in his car on the way to a softball diamond.
Smith, a Morgantown resident, is a local softball umpire who recently was named the Softball Official of the Year for the state of West Virginia by the National Federation of High Schools.
“It was a bit of a surprise,” Smith, a native of Charleston said. “It was a nice acknowledgment to honor something I enjoy doing and to know that I am doing it well.”
The award was presented during the 2024 WVSSAC state softball finals and for Smith, it’s an honor that he has earned by traversing the tri-state area and beyond.
He first began umpiring at the rec level with BOPARC and then moved on to high school-level competition before recently moving to the college ranks.
“I remember the first time I umpired, and I think I pieced together a facemask, a chest protector and some shin guards,” Smith said. “It was a little chaotic in those early games.”
Smith, 46, started umpiring due to his love of sports. He played baseball for South Charleston High School and American Legion baseball. During his undergraduate days at West Virginia University, he played intramural sports.
“I got away from sports for a while,” Smith said. “But I wanted to be attached to the game and to me baseball and softball are so similar. I enjoy the competition part of it — we really are the third team on the field. I enjoy the process; I am a process guy and I take pride in how we show up.”
For Smith, it isn’t just about the games. He attends clinics all over the area and according to his mentor, Glenn Dalton, he was a natural umpire right away.
“He has gone to a lot of camps to improve his standard in officiating,” Dalton, a long-time local umpire, said. “He is a stickler for the rules, and he looks the part. He lost a ton of weight so he could move up in the officiating world. He has paid his dues, and he works at it. He wants to be good and do the job correctly.”
The time Smith puts into his craft does take him away from his family. However, he said that his wife, Maria, and their three grown children and two younger children all understand Smith’s passion for the game.
“There’s no good way about it when it comes to missing some of my kids’ events,” Smith said. “I certainly hate the time away, but they understand that this is what makes me tick. I couldn’t do it without them.”
Now, Smith is moving up in the umpire world and will likely be involved in some Division 1 softball contests in 2025. Still, he said he hasn’t forgotten his roots, and he continues to umpire for WVSSAC contests and BOPARC games.
“We know that youth sports need as much positive attention as possible,” Smith said. “This has never been about a power thing with me. I enjoy being part of the game and impacting lives and the game hopefully as positively as I can.
“The officials and umpires that end up on YouTube and TicTok, end up there for a reason. I don’t need the validation because I know I have put the work in.”
By ERIC HERTER/For The Dominion Post
TWEET @DomPostSports
