About Us
My name is Adam Dowdy, and for more than 30 years, I have had the privilege of umpiring baseball at every level of the game. Throughout that journey, I have also instructed at numerous umpire camps and clinics across the country.
My umpiring career began in my teens as a part-time summer job. In 1995, I attended the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring as a student and later returned to spend nine years as an instructor. My 14-year professional umpiring career included seven years as a Major League fill-in, where I had the opportunity to work alongside—and learn from—some of the finest umpires in the world.
For the past 18 years, I have worked as an NCAA Division I umpire. Since 2017, I have received four assignments to the NCAA Men’s College World Series.
Along the way, I have spoken with hundreds of developing umpires who share the same important question:
What do I need to do to earn my next big assignment?
Good umpiring begins with putting your eyes in the best position to see each play—but becoming a complete umpire requires much more. Judgment, positioning, communication, rules knowledge, game management, preparation, and professionalism all contribute to an umpire’s success. Some of the most important mental and situational aspects of the craft cannot be learned from a rulebook alone.
That is why we created Umpire Focus.
Umpire Focus combines technology and science with the art of umpiring to provide practical, accessible training for umpires at every stage of development. Our staff shares proven knowledge and real-world experience in ways that you can understand, apply, and carry onto the field.
Whether you are preparing for your first game or working to catch the eye of a conference coordinator, our goal is to help you understand what separates good umpires from great ones—and prepare you for success both on and off the field.
Baseball needs well-trained, confident officials. By sharing what we have learned, we hope to develop the next generation of umpires and help ensure that the game continues to survive and thrive.
Wherever you are in your umpiring journey, Umpire Focus is here for you.
Testimonials
"I couldn’t be more excited about Umpire Focus instructional clinics. While Adam's experience is impressive enough, he’s also a proven, caring, and passionate umpire trainer. I’ve been extremely fortunate to get to know him and benefit directly from his guidance in past camps. I’m still striving to get more of his instinctual umpiring skills to rub off on me. Adam will work you hard and give it to you straight; the way it should be in my view. He also knows how to put together an outstanding instructional team that will benefit you best. My umpire career has advanced very nicely since first meeting Adam."Â
David Spigner
JUCO, NAIA, and D3 Baseball Umpire
Laguna Hills, California
"If you’re looking for superior instruction, guidance, and support, look no further than Umpire Focus. I was quickly impressed with the high level of professionalism demonstrated via 1-on-1 online video training. Adam incorporated visual PowerPoint presentations along with video to create teaching material that was informative, interactive, and engaging. Even though nothing beats “in game” experience, I felt like this program prepared me very well for my first ever umpiring assignments and, more importantly, put me in a position to succeed long term."
Zachary Reese
Veteran NCAA D1 Hockey Official
Mesa, Arizona
