'It's taken time': Female umpire breaks down barriers at Ontario Summer Games

An Orillia woman has become one of the most highly regarded umpires in youth baseball in Ontario.

Nancy Watson began playing girls slo-pitch and fastball when she was 12 years old. Now, at 61, she spends her summer months umpiring on local baseball diamonds.

Her journey as an umpire began about 12 years ago when her son, Thomas, decided to take the Ontario Baseball Association umpire course.

"I decided to take the course with him, just so I would be able to help him out," Watson explained. "Minor baseball started needing umpires and I was certified, so I started umping hardball."

Watson saw umpiring as a way to give back to the community and the game that she fell in love with at a young age.

"We do get paid to umpire, but that's truly secondary," she said. "The pay is not important for me. It’s about giving back to the kids and seeing them enjoy playing."

Watson, a Park Street Collegiate Institute graduate, is one of only a few females in the province who umpires the sport. Among the 40 umpires in the Orillia Legion Minor Baseball system, Watson is the only female.

"I do get a lot of respect when I step on the diamond," she said. "That's only because I've proven myself over the years. It's taken time."

When Watson first started, she didn't feel as respected as the male umpires.

"I always tried to put that aside and just do the best I can for the game," she said. "I took everything with a grain of salt knowing I was against that barrier."

While Watson dealt with some discrimination when she first stepped behind the plate, she says things are changing for the better.

"People are more accepting now," she said. "It just took some time."

Watson credits some of the veterans she worked with as a rookie for helping her become a respected woman in blue.

"I was fortunate that the umpires that I worked with had been in the system a long time," she said. "They were willing to help me."

Watson says the keys to being a great umpire are "consistency" and "invisibility."

"You're not there to be seen," she said. "The worst thing that can happen is if they're talking about you after the game."

The most challenging part of Watson's job is umpiring players aged nine to 22.

"Each division has different rules," she said. "To be consistent, you have to try to stay on top of the rules."

Last weekend, Watson was given the highest honour of her umpiring career. She and Jared Merkley from Orillia were selected to umpire during the Ontario Summer Games in London.

Watson was assigned to work with an all-female umpire crew that called games for the U16 girls' teams.  

"It was an honour to be asked," she said. "At first I kind of hesitated. I questioned if I was able to do it."

Despite the thoughts of self-doubt, the nerves subsided once she stepped foot on the red clay diamond in London.

"It was then that it was just any other baseball game," Watson said. "It was awesome."

Before the Games began, Watson and her umpiring crew marched in the opening ceremonies with the athletes.

"It had a fantastic atmosphere," she said. "Seeing all of the kids ages 12 to 16 competing was exciting."

Having female officials present during the Games was a proud moment for Watson. She says it's important for women to have a presence in sports.

"Having those opportunities is huge for us," she said. "There's a woman who officiates the NFL and there's a woman who is an assistant coach in the NHL. We're making great strides."

Seeing women in positions that are usually male-dominated helps to build confidence in young women who are chasing their dreams.

By umpiring local baseball, Watson hopes she can inspire young women to play, coach, or officiate sports.

"I'm kind of hoping that next year we have some young ladies try out for an umpire," she said.