Mark Hayward

Umpire - Presented by John Hart

Mark has umpired in the USSSA program for 17 years and is still an active umpire. He has attended every USSSA National Umpire Clinics since 1999. From 2000 to 2008 Mark helped train new umpires in Agawam, MA. He held the USSSA Western Mass Treasurer position from 2002-2004. Mark was also Western Mass USSSA Umpire in Chief in 2009 and Area Director from 2008 to present. 

Mark has umpired in the following:

• 28 State Tournaments
• 35 NIT Tournaments
  2 Co-ed State Tournaments
• 9 Mixed State Tournaments
• 2 Mixed NIT Tournaments
• 1 Over 35 World Tournaments
• 1 Over 40 World Tournaments
• 5 World Series
• 4 Special Olympics
• 2 USA Conference Tournament
• 1 Championship Tournament

“My most amusing USSSA event just happened this past fall in Holyoke, MA. We found a bag of pot behind home plate and down the third base line. It was most amusing when we figured out who lost it. It was the catcher! He was pulling his pants up to his knees, took his shoes off and his socks off! He never found it. We threw it in the trash can.” 

Mark states that “Softball is a great game. It has plenty of action, never a dull moment. The USSSA is a top notch organization. The organization needs to get together with the bat manufacturer and tone these bats down. A lot of these bats are weapons. They keep lowering the compressions on the bats but the bats just keep getting better. These balls fly by us at a great rate of speed.”