Randy Smith
Most of you by now know about my love of umpiring. Baseball or softball, it doesn't matter. I have strongly supported the guys who are in the business for the right reasons, and harshly criticized those who aren't. Barry Young was one of those men in blue whom I supported and had the greatest respect for. He was a true sports official. When the seasons changed, Barry changed his shirt from football stripes, to basketball stripes, to baseball and softball blues. He worked games year round, and at all levels.
To say the past couple of years has been tough on Barry is a true understatement. He suffered through a layoff from a job that he had held for a very long time, but he didn't complain. He chose to talk about the games and especially the youngsters. Barry had been around long enough to watch several players go on to become outstanding head coaches. Everyone, and I mean everyone remembered Barry fondly; whether it was a kind word, a funny story or just a simple word of encouragement. Not that he didn't miss a call or two along the way; we all do, but nobody ever mentioned a missed or a blown call. They chose to remember those acts of kindness and encouragement. That's something all officials should strive to achieve.
Back in the spring, after the high school season was over, it was discovered that Barry Young had cancer of the colon. He was taken to Nashville, where he underwent surgery, then back to Parkridge Hospital here in Chattanooga. His final stop came at Chattanooga Hospice, where he passed away on Wednesday evening. Thankfully for Barry, it was a quick ordeal. He suffered, but not nearly as much as others who have contacted that dreaded disease. Knowing Barry as I did, his biggest regret was not being able to be on the field when the high school football season begins in a couple of weeks.
It's always sad when we lose someone much too early in life. Someone who still had a lot of love and support to give young people.I can remember the annual TSSAA umpires banquet back in March. My wife Shelia and I sat across from Barry and while the conversation began about umpires and their issues, it quickly became about the games and the kids. I thought then that Barry didn't look very good at all. His color was bad and little did we know how sick he really was.
I will miss my buddy Barry Young. So will his fellow umpires as well as all the area coaches and players who came in contact with him through the years. What I will miss most however, is his unequaled dedication to the game and the players. I will also miss his way of communicating with people. He would get to the field very early sometimes, and talk with fellow umpires, team coaches and even toss a few barbs at some of the athletes. When the game started, he was all business. When a few fans got on him, he always looked the other way, choosing to ignore them; just as he was supposed to do.
Barry Young was a good solid umpire and an even better person. Yes, we will miss him on the field and off. But it appears there was a big tournament in Heaven this weekend that needed a guy like him. Rest in peace my brother!