Houston umpire to ref Little League World Series

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- For 22 years, Bruce Hicks has umpired for First Colony Little League and other tournaments without ever being paid.

Next week, Hicks will be volunteering his time and passion for youth baseball's biggest stage in Willamsport, Pennsylvania.

"I never planned to be a Little League umpire," Hicks said. "I started when my son Ben got into Little League. At the parents meeting, our coach told me, 'You're the team umpire.' I thought that was fine, I wanted to help the team. I know baseball, I know the rules. Then I went to an umpiring clinic and realized I knew almost nothing. Baseball is a fascinating game with a lot of rules. I developed a passion for umpiring. It also was a real challenge. I spent a lot of time learning and reading everything I could about umpiring."

You can read more of Hicks' story on CultureMap.

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