Officiating in all sports at all levels is progressively getting worse. I used to do it (baseball, volleyball), but got out of it for some of the very reasons mentioned above.
1. The pay is terrible. For the time and effort required, the pay is not at all in line with what other professions pay.
2. The game is getting faster and it's harder and harder to get things right. This isn't a knock on officials, but players today are bigger, faster, stronger, etc. and getting things right like balls/strikes, block/charge, offensive/defensive pass interference is much tougher than it was 20, 30, 40 years ago.
3. Players, coaches, fans, etc. are much more abusive than they used to be. These officials have to put up with a lot of crap at the stadium/arena (admittedly, a lot of it doled out by me), but now they have to put up with crap on social media, message boards, and in their personal life outside of the game. That's tough. I don't know what you guys all do for a living, but when you get off work and go home, I doubt you've got folks on Twitter or TexAgs ripping you apart and tearing you down for everything you did while you were on the clock.
4. There is not much of a true training program for young officials. Granted, if you get to the MLB, NBA, or NFL level, you've put in some work, but high school and college officials are mostly just guys who have stuck around for a long time and, based on longevity and nothing else, have worked their way up the ladder. They're not necessarily better than younger officials...but they've "paid their dues" and get higher level assignments.
5. There's no real accountability, especially in the non-revenue sports like college baseball. The SEC (and other leagues) are so desperate for officials in baseball, softball, volleyball, and other non-money makers, they really can't afford to start suspending every official who isn't an A-level employee. There's just no one any better behind them to take their place.
At the end of the day, it's all about money. If college baseball spent more money on training, salaries, etc., they'd get a better crop of folks interested in doing the job. But as it stands, umpiring is a budget afterthought and not a priority. So essentially, you get what you pay for...and until baseball becomes a money-maker, that's just the way it's going to be.
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
