The Fredericksburg Umpires Association has been providing professional,
high quality officiating services to Central Virginia since 1966.
We have 21 schools that we provide officials for in baseball and softball.
2008 FUA Award Winners
2009 FUA Award Winners
2010 FUA Award Winners
FUA Commissioner
Paul Sanders
commissioner@fuaump.com
FUA Treasurer
Bobby J. Barnes
barnesbj@cox.net
FUA Training Officer
Keith Madison
keith.madison@gdit.com
Board Member at Large
Tad Pegelow
tpegelow@caci.com
Board Member at Large
Todd Tinder
ttinder@aol.com
Webmaster
Jeremy T. Bullock
jbullock@virginiaaau.net
FUA History
The Fredericksburg Umpires Association (FUA) was founded in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in 1966. John Allen, longtime Fredericksburg radio personality, came to Fredericksburg from Ohio in the early 1960s, only to find no organized umpiring association serving the area. Area schools would hire a plate umpire, and then solicit volunteers from the stands to serve as base umpires. To address this need, Allen banded together with Jake Thomas, Bill Buttram, and Paul Johnson, forming the original membership of FUA. Allen, who has over 50 years officiating experience, remains an active FUA member today, the last of the original members still on the roster.
In its early years, FUA officiated high school baseball for James Monroe, Stafford and Spotsylvania, the only three high schools in the Fredericksburg area during the 1960s. FUA also officiated the Fredericksburg City slow pitch softball league, made up of only 8 teams at that time. FUA began to expand, recruiting additional members, including Max Garland, Travis Bullock, Ken Blackley and B.J. Barnes, in 1968. Other key members came aboard soon thereafter, including Merel Wheeler, Tom Holland, and Ben Herndon. FUA also expanded its service area to include Caroline, Essex, Fauquier and King George High Schools.
Allen served as FUA Commissioner for most of the early years; others who served briefly as Commissioner included Jimmy Jones, Gene Kotulka, and Tim O'Toole. In 1991, Art Greene was elected FUA Commissioner, and served until 2003. Greene was instrumental in advancing FUA into the computer age. FUA continued to increase its coverage area, and began receiving regional and state playoff assignments on a regular basis. Allen returned to serve as Commissioner from 2004 through 2006, with Paul Sanders serving as Assignor during the same time period. Sanders was elected Commissioner in 2006, and continues to serve FUA in that capacity today. During Sanders tenure, FUA has again expanded its membership and service area, experienced an increase in regional and state playoff assignments, and began using iSOCS, an on-line assigning tool, to communicate assignments to the membership.
Today, FUA consists of approximately 45 members, serving more than 20 high school and middle school baseball and softball contracts in the greater Fredericksburg area and the Northern Neck of Virginia. FUA also provides officials for a number of semi-pro and youth baseball leagues in the area as well. While FUA and the Fredericksburg area have both experienced unprecedented growth and expansion over the past 45 years, FUA remains true to its mission to provide competent, fair and consistent baseball and softball officiating services to our region.
