Somewhere, Eric Cooper is smiling.
Teens in Iowa are following in his plate shoes, learning how to umpire but also how to be leaders in their community – something that MLB Umpire Eric (better known as “Coop”) Cooper would have been proud to see.
Earlier this week, UMPS CARE kicked off our 6-week Official Leadership Program course in Des Moines, where Coop was born and raised. The course is free to kids 13 to 18, and half of the instruction focuses on umpiring mechanics, while the other half teaches lessons on financial literacy, goal setting and conflict resolution.
Graduates of the course will go to an Iowa Cubs game and meet the umpire crew for a special pregame Q&A.
For teens who are interested in taking this course, there is still time to register!
The program was created in 2021, and the family of Eric Cooper thought it would be perfect to bring to Iowa. Eric died in 2019, and his family loved the idea of imparting umpiring and life lessons to teens in their hometown.
We are grateful to J.P. Richardson and Central Iowa Sports, Travis Gorsch and the Iowa Foundation, MLB Umpire Supervisor Mike Everitt, the Iowa Cubs, and the Cooper family for their support for this program.
We also are thankful for the support from everyone who has participated in the Eric Cooper Memorial Bowling Tournament which helps funds this initiative. Save the date for Sunday, November 23, 2025, for the bowling tournament!