For over three decades, this York-Adams umpire calls strikes and encourages kids

He loves umpiring so much, he would do it for free. 

James Jenkins of Chambersburg has been umpiring for the past 38 years. He's a well-known face in the York-Adams league, and he's highly respected in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA). 

Umpiring comes naturally to Jenkins, who first started working baseball games when he returned home from the United States Marine Corps. When his son started playing baseball, there was a lack of umpires. So he stepped in, volunteering for a game here and there. 

"They kept saying, 'Sign up for the PIAA.' And I just said I would rather do it for free," Jenkins said. 

Now, 38 years later, he's calling games across the YAIAA, cracking jokes in between pitches, and always happy to chat with players while the pitchers warm up. 

Jenkins is constantly talking with the players. Whether it's congratulating the catcher on a solid throw to second base, or laughing with the batter before the inning, his mask is off and his smile is on. 

"Talking to the kids and encouraging them" is what drives Jenkins to continue umping. "I want to find out what their plans are, what they want to do and try to be positive with them. Because you need that positive reinforcement.

"We can find bad things, but I look at the good things." 

Jenkins also umpires college baseball games with the Chesapeake Basin Collegiate Baseball Umpires Association. Throughout the summer, he keeps busy with American Legion baseball.

And, despite almost four decades umpiring, he says he continues to do it for the love of the game and to help the kids grow as players. 

"His reputation precedes him," said fellow umpire Bob Downing, who worked with Jenkins for the first time on April 20. "He's one of the highest-rated umps by the coaches, year after year." 

Downing has been umpiring for the past seven years but started officiating high school games just two years ago. After Friday's game, he said he already learned a lot from Jenkins. 

"He encourages the players, you know," Downing said. "Like when they make a mistake, he just says, 'Hey, shake it off.' Or when they make a nice play, giving them that praise." 

Littlestown first-year head coach Robert Rohrbaugh, who has coached in the area for six years, shared the same sentiments about Jenkins. 

"He's very passionate about the game, you can tell that," Rohrbaugh said. "He's very high energy (and) he communicates very well. We enjoy having him behind the plate — he's always very fair."

Jenkins doesn't have any plans to hang up the mask soon. 

"When my partner tells me, 'It looks like the game has passed you by,' then I'll stop," Jenkins said. "When my partner tells me to hang it up, I'm done. Then, I'll go help somebody else out."