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A high-energy Bakersfield Little League umpire is going viral for his wildly animated on-field antics, sprinting, hustling and darting around the diamond.
Sawyer Sparks is making headlines for his big personality and commitment to getting every call right on the field.
Sparks became an online sensation after a parent filmed his energetic umpiring at a local game and shared it on Instagram, according to FOX58.
By Friday, the video had already amassed an impressive 126,000 likes.
Justin Ritchie, the parent who filmed the viral video, told the outlet he recorded Sparks so he could show his wife, who hadn’t made it to their son’s game yet.
“I was here watching my son’s game, and my wife wasn’t here yet, so I was texting her, and she was asking about the game and how our son was doing. I told her that he’s not up yet, but this umpire, he’s really killing it out there,” Ritchie said.
After capturing a few clips, Ritchie shared one online, and the internet quickly went wild.
“And the next day, just the views and comments and messages I’ve been getting from this kid, I was like – amazing!” he explained.
For Sparks, those dramatic moves are all about perfect positioning and razor-sharp accuracy, especially when he is the only umpire on the field, he told FOX.
“The reason why I run around the field is, since I’m the only umpire on the field, I want to make sure I get the most accurate calls as possible,” Sparks said.
Following his viral rise, Sparks said he eventually met Ritchie in person.
“I went ahead and met Justin, and I just told him, hey, this is me, thank you for getting my skills out there and showing everybody what I can do,” Sparks said.
English (US)