NPF Announces New League Supervisor of Officials

Nashville, TN – National Pro Fastpitch released today the appointment of Ed Whipple to the League Supervisor of Officials position. The position is a two year post. Whipple replaces Chris Nabors, who has acted as Supervisor since 2011.

Whipple’s resume includes officiating and administration of umpires at various levels of professional, collegiate, and amateur competition for both women and men. In the last 5 years alone, Whipple has umpired in 2 NPF Championship Series’,” acted as Co-AUC for the Florida market, and served as an advisor on-site for the 2012 Championship Series. At the NCAA level, Whipple has been the UIC of the Division III National Championship, A-Sun Championship, and CUSA Championship. He umpired inside 7 separate Division I conferences including the SEC and ACC, twice was assigned an NCAA Division I Regional and twice assigned an NCAA Division I Super Regional. In addition, Whipple served a 3 year stint on the NCAA Rules Committee, has been a contributing clinician to developmental umpire programs and has evaluated at various levels.

“Putting the very best officials in the game on the field for NPF competition is a goal that we are continually committed to reaching and maintaining,” stated NPF Commissioner, Cheri Kempf. “That goal begins with a high quality supervisor who is respected in the game and will continue to lead NPF officiating in a positive direction. Ed has an impressive resume and the type of background we are looking for to make a positive impression on the officiating reflected inside the league.”

The league Supervisor of Officials directly oversees the appointment of Area Umpire Coordinators who are responsible for scheduling on-field umpires for each independent market. Those assignments are approved by the Supervisor who continually tracks umpire evaluations throughout the season. The Supervisor is also responsible for nominating Championship Series umpires for ownership approval and subsequently assigning those umpire positions within the Series. Additionally, throughout the year, the Supervisor is responsible for evaluating new rules, relaying pertinent information to League Management Committee members, and positively influencing the game of professional softball from an umpiring and rules perspective.

“It is an honor to accept the opportunity to combine my love of the game and my passion for umpiring with the privilege to work with the NPF staff, professional owners and coaches while developing an umpiring community worthy of working with the best fast-pitch softball players in the world,” commented Whipple. “I welcome the effort and activity necessary to continue the growth of the league and look forward to an exciting season.”

Whipple’s term begins immediately and lasts through December 2014. The National Pro Fastpitch league is set to kick off its tenth season in 2013.