Ben Wiebe started playing the game of baseball at the age of twelve, and loved the game after picking up a ball for the first time. After not making it to the major leagues, the love for the game drew him to another avenue to stay involved in the game and became an umpire.

"It's basically one of the two options for umpires who want to take their passion further, and hope to make it to the Major Leagues," said Wiebe, who is leaving today to attend the Wendelstedt Umpire School in Florida.

After umpiring for roughly five years behind the plate, and parents, players, and coaches thanking him for his efforts and dedication to the game, Wiebe thought it would be cool to see if becoming an MLB umpire would be a possibility. After some research as to if/how he could become a MLB umpire, he decided it would be his ideal job to get paid to watch baseball.

As far as Wiebe knows, he is the first in the area to try and achieve this dream of his. He's talked with a number of umpires in the area, who have done juniors, nationals, international, and even Goldeyes, but none of them have taken this program to try and become an MLB ump.

Wiebe noted, by going to this school, it doesn't guarantee him an MLB umpire job. He still needs to put in the work and move up the ranks through the minor leagues.

"Not in very many careers do you have a job where if you aren't promoted in three years, you're back to the beginning where you started," said Wiebe.  "So if you get placed in a minor league somewhere in the United States or Canada. The rule generally is that you will be at the level for three years, after which if you don't get promoted you will not continue umping at that level. You will go down to the first level that will accept you. You have to be able to be confident in your own abilities, and put the work and sacrifice in, because you will not make it up and sustain a career at the level that you want to be at if you don't do that."

The program is five weeks long, and if you are in the top portion of the class you'll get placed into a camp, which will be evaluated more strictly. He added at the end of the camp, either walk out of there with a job or not.

"My goal is one day, be at Rogers Centre, umping a Blue Jays game," concluded Wiebe.