The Northern Virginia Softball Umpires Association (NVSUA) is a professional organization of over 35 years consisting of men and women who officiate fast-pitch softball using USA Softball and NFHS rules in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. NVSUA over the years officiated fast and slow pitch softball however now only fastpitch softball. We provide a high quality instructional program in the training, preparation and development of fast-pitch softball umpires. We are committed continually to improving our association through frequent membership meetings, bi-annual training clinics, a mentor and observation program, game assignment using an on-line application, and a NVSUA website. We provide umpiring services to USA Softball girls fast-pitch leagues, USA Softball local tournaments, State USA Softball National Tournaments, High Schools that use USA Softball rules and High Schools that use National Federation High School (NFHS) rules.
NVSUA is a membership organization of independent contracted umpires providing training, support, and assignment opportunities for members in support of girls fastpitch softball.
NVSUA recruits, trains, supports, and provides assignment opportunities for our members.
NVSUA contracts with school districts and youth organizations to create assignment opportunities for members and provides a path to have competitive and instructional fastpitch softball played in our Northern Virginia coverage area. NVSUA has a goal to grow the game of fastpitch softball and be stewards of all aspects of the game.
NVSUA provides highly trained and qualified umpires to our clients in support of girls fastpitch softball.
President
Stephen Smith has been umpiring fast-pitch softball & baseball for over 35 years. Stephen started umpiring at the age of 15 at the same time entering the public safety field at age 16 by obtaining his EMT certification and firefighting certifications. Stephen was the former Umpire in Chief of Northwestern Little League PA District 3 and LL district umpire with Erie County Youth Umpires. Stephen also is a former PIAA High School umpire. Stephen currently is a VHSL and NCAA Umpire and is retired out of the public safety field. Stephen is assisting Commissioner Mark Lincoln as Assistant Assigner of the association as well as being the current president. Stephen is currently working with umpire organizations throughout northern Virginia to help train and grow the game of softball as a whole. Stephen is married to his wife Jennifer who also umpires for NVSUA.
Vice President / Secretary
Angela Watts has been a Northern Virginia Fast Pitch Softball umpire for 30 years. She has also coached basketball for over 31 year and officiated football for one year for Fairfax County Youth Program. She is currently the Director of Basketball Operations for girls’ basketball at South County HS.
Angie just received her USA Softball Gold Award and her 30 Year Certificate for being a Virginia High School League Official. Angie is a 30-year government employee, with 15 years of that time served in the Army.
I have served as a Member at Large at different times on NVSUA board and as the newly elected Vice President, it is my pleasure to be afforded the opportunity to join the board again. I look forward to working with you all.
Umpire-In-Chief
Wil started umpiring just prior to the Covid pandemic in 2020, working my first high school game the week before the schools shut down. Since then, I have worked so many recreation ball, high school, and travel games that I have lost count! As a travel league softball coach and parent, when the weather is warm, you will usually find me at a field somewhere. The 2023-24 school year is my 19th year in public education, with my years spent as a middle school band director and high school marching band instructor and now as a grant program compliance administrator for the Washington DC public school system. The opportunities provided to kids through sports and other development programs are always near to my heart which is why I decided to serve on this board of directors. A die-hard baseball fan who is usually at the ballpark on a rare summer night away from the softball field, the 2019 season was one to cherish, even if all of our favorites now wear other uniforms…Go Nats!
Treasurer
Jennifer Smith has been umpiring for 3 years. In this short time, she umpired local rec leagues all the way up to varsity games, including district and regional playoffs. In addition, she has extensive experience with USA Softball as she umpires weekend tournaments for 9 months of the year. She’s even been selected for two USA National tournaments. While not umpiring or handling the association’s finances, she assists the Umpire in Chief with the training and mentoring program of new umpires. Umpiring is a family affair for Jennifer as she and her husband, Stephen, the NVSUA President, can both be seen on the field together many times throughout the year. In fact, they make a point to get scheduled for a game together to celebrate their wedding anniversary on the field Jennifer’s day job is as an auditor with the Defense Contract Audit Agency. She has been an employee of the Department of Defense for almost 20 years.
Member-At-Large
Joe DeFranco has been umpiring and/or coaching fast-pitch softball for over 36 years. Besides being the Retired Umpire-in-Chief for Northern Virginia Softball Umpires Association (NVSUA) & Current Member at Large, he is also the Central Virginia UIC & Region 2 UIC for USA Softball and the Virginia High School League Rules Interpreter.
Joe has been training umpires for over 35 years and with his unique approach of “hands on” training, many of the umpires trained through NVSUA have continued on to be very successful at the national and collegiate level. He also has an extensive collection of game videos that can demonstrate any rule by request. These video plays have been studied and discussed at all of his umpire training classes. Joe has also been the Junior Olympic UIC for the Metro DC ASA organization. Joe has also coached at the varsity high school and travel level for over 10 years so he knows the game of fast pitch from both the umpire’s and coach’s perspective. Joe is a retired high school math teacher after 30+ years. His family is also very involved in softball as well. Joe’s wife Debbie played softball for former Olympic coach, Ralph Raymond, in high school. His son JP has been a successful umpire at multiple levels including high school and NCAA. His daughter Marisa was a collegiate softball player at Emerson College.
Commissioner / Assigner
Mark started his officiating career in Florida umpiring Little League Baseball games when he was still in high school. He moved on to officiating intramural sports (flag football, soccer, and slow pitch softball) at the University of Florida. After graduation, he moved to Virginia and started umpiring slow pitch softball for the old Commonwealth Amateur Softball Umpires Association in Fairfax and Vienna. A chance meeting one night with the soon to be commissioner of the old Northern Virginia High School Fastpitch Softball Umpires Association got him interested in umpiring high school fast pitch softball. That year was 1990 and little did he know that thirty-five years later, he would still be umpiring high school fastpitch softball. During those thirty-five years, Mark has served on the association Board of Directors as the Umpire in Chief both in the 1990’s and the early 2000’s where he was responsible for recruiting and training several groups of umpires. As a member of the Board of Directors, he was also involved in two association mergers when the Northern Virginia High School Fastpitch Softball Umpires Association merged with the Community Softball Umpires Association to form the Northern Virginia Fastpitch Softball Umpires Association and then, when that association later merged with the Fairfax Softball Umpires Association to become the current Northern Virginia Softball Umpires Association (NVSUA). Mark has accepted the opportunity to become the commissioner of the NVSUA and starting with the Fall 2024 softball season, he will be assigning umpires for all the games for the schools, leagues, teams, and tournaments who are clients of the NVSUA. He will be calling on his extensive experience as both an umpire and a software engineer to improve and optimize all the processes that go into assigning the umpires for the NVSUA.