Jim Evans Talks About Force3 Defender Umpire Face Mask
Feb 17th, 2015Former MLB Umpire and head of the Professional Umpire Academy that bears his name, Jim Evans was recently hired as a consultant for Minor League Baseball. I met with Jim this January while at The Umpire School, where we are the Official Supplier. Jim gave me the “insider” view of the Force3 Defender Umpire Face Mask.
The Force3 Defender solves a need for umpires. Most umpires do not wear umpire helmets that, on average, provide more protection than traditional masks. So instead of designing a next generation helmet that most don't wear anyway, Force3 has designed a next generation traditional mask (actually, there is a Force3 helmet in the development stage). After many years of designing, prototyping and testing the Force3 has developed a truly amazing technological creation!
The Defender umpire mask features a dual-mask system with four zones of padding divided by a support suspension system that reduces force by up to 50% in most cases.
Add in memory foam padding and a lifetime warranty, the Defender is worthy of consideration despite its 29 ounces in weight.
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About the Author
President Jim Kirk
Jim is a leading expert, educator and author on umpire gear, safety & appearance. After playing baseball at Centre College, he worked as a high school umpire. He became involved in E-Commerce while working on an MBA in the early 2000s and bought Ump-Attire.com in 2006, He eventually led it to the leading umpire gear & attire retailer worldwide, a “Best Places to Work in Louisville” honor in 2020 & 2021 and a National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) Preferred Vendor. He maintained a long-standing relationship with Minor League Baseball Umpire Development & Training Academy for 10 years. He serves as an adviser to UMPS CARE Charities, the charity of MLB umpires, served as a 2-term board of director from 2012-2018, and was named their 2015 Ambassador Award recipient. A supporter since the inception of the Wounded Warrior Umpire Academy, he was named to their Board of Directors in 2020.
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