BIO:

Bob Lipsky worked for many umpire organizations during his 28-year career, including Al Goodman, Buckeye, Buckeye Metro, Wayne Rust, and Eastside.  And each one quickly learned that Bob possessed all the qualities a softball official needed to excel.  He took pride in his appearance, and was always clean and in the proper uniform.  He knew the rules, hustled, and was in the right place at the right time to make his calls.  He was fair and earned the respect of his peers and the players.  He distinguished himself in championship play, never stopped learning or trying to improve the game, taught by example and in the classroom, and loved the game. Bob made it his business to attend local and national umpire clinics every year, eventually teaching and speaking at those clinics himself for over 10 years.  He was a Board member of Expressway Park’s umpire association, was their umpire-in-chief for three years, and taught their classes for 15 years.  He was awarded Ohio USSSA District IX Umpire of the Year honors, and served as District Umpire-In-Chief from 2008 until he retired in 2015, having worked over 17,500 games.  During his career at Expressway, he worked over 10 District Championships, 55 State Championships, 100 National Invitationals, 16 National and Regional Championships, and 2 World Series.  Teaching umpires became a great passion for Bob, and he was thrilled to be a part of the learning and growing process for young umpires.  In another effort to improve the game, he often submitted rule change proposals to the USSSA organization for consideration.  But the most rewarding part of his career, says Bob now, was that he never stopped having fun.

BIO:

Steve Gordon has been umpiring slow pitch softball for 32 years in all levels of men’s and women’s divisions of play.  Steve got his start working for the Eggleston Park Umpire Association, and later officiated for Blue Chip Umpires, then ASA and USA Softball.   He was a workhorse for the annual Amateur Softball Association’s Metro Tournament for 28 years, calling numerous championship games.  He was a fixture in the championship games of the Major Divisions, where his distinctive strike call behind home plate became his trademark. Rated as one of the top 20 umpires in the nation by ASA/USA Softball, Steve has worked 23 National Tournaments at all levels of play.  He was selected to work three Super Major, six Men’s A, and three Armed Forces Nationals. He attended six National Umpire Clinics from 2006-2012, including two Advanced Schools.  He also served locally as an Umpire-In-Chief and instructor.

Steve has consistently displayed a professional attitude and appearance on and off the field, always beginning each assignment in a well-kept uniform and polished shoes.  Heis known for his modesty, business-like approach to the game and work ethic.  His style is to never call attention to himself, yet always to ensure that each of his games is kept under control and receives his best effort.  Steve credits his ability to work at the highest level in both his National and International assignments to the experiences he has gained while working in his hometown with all the great players and the outstanding level of competition in Greater Cincinnati.  He believes that the best softball in the country is played right here in the tri-state.

BIO:

Dayton native Tim Klemm has been one of Southwestern Ohio’s most respected umpires for over four decades.  A 43-year officiating veteran, Klemm has served as a registered umpire for Kettering Umpires and Dayton Umpires before moving to Cincinnati, where he continued his officiating career for Queen City Umpires and Blue Chip Umpires, while working for such associations and organizations as ASA, ISF, NCAA and ASA Elite.   A fixture in the Cincinnati Metro Tournament every year, Klemm has worked numerous State Championships, and over twenty ASA National Tournaments, including the Men’s C, Men’s Industrial, Men’s 40-Over, Men’s 16”, Women’s, and Junior Olympics in the 16, 14 and 12 age groups.  He was Umpire-In-Chief in twelve of those events.  He has been selected to work in fifteen NCAA tournaments, and umpired in the first ISF College World Games in 2004.  He has attended National Umpire Clinics all across the country, and is a reputable clinician.

BIO:

Ray Vaughn is best known for serving as the Ohio USSSA District IX Umpire-In-Chief from 1989-2003.  It was during that era that USSSA experienced its most dramatic growth in Greater Cincinnati, as registrations peaked at over 5,000 teams.  And only through Ray’s extraordinary skill set as an administrator and clinician was the area’s umpire program able to keep pace with the increasing need for quality officials.  Umpire registrations more than doubled in Greater Cincinnati from 151 to over 300 in just six years under Ray’s direction.  One of his most significant achievements was to organize a District IX Committee which was comprised of all the Umpire Associations in the area.  Each association would send a representative to an annual meeting to discuss rule changes, mechanics, training, and administrative matters.  During his career, he umpired approximately 7,000 league and tournament games, mostly at Riverstar Park, where he was the assigner for 17 years.  He worked the Ohio Valley Classic, plus numerous USSSA State, National and National Invitational Tournaments of all classes.  He also worked 27 consecutive U. A. National Tournaments from 1994-2010.  Ray worked for the Queen City Umpires (1970-1978), Ohio Valley Umpires (1979-1981), and Best Officials (1982-1983) before forming Al Goodman/Riverstar Umpires in 1984.  He attended eight national umpire clinics, and conducted six national and sixteen district clinics plus countless clinics for both Riverstar and other area USSSA groups.