The third person to become a WBSC baseball technical commissioner after Stephen Lesfargues and Damien Guionie. He will now be able to officiate internationally in the future. Baseball TV France met this new official.
BTVF: Who are you, Julien Mathey?
J.M: I’m 38 years old and discovered baseball/softball in 2010 during my studies in Compiègne. At the time, I was a member of the Imperials (now the Marlins de Compiègne) for three years before moving to the Île-de-France region for professional reasons.
Since its creation in 2017, I’ve been licensed with the Royals Roosters de Pontoise (Val d’Oise – 95), playing as both a player and an umpire. My first umpire training actually dates back to that period.
We quickly understood that investing in officiating (as in scoring) is a necessity, even more so for clubs with limited resources. So, I started umpiring in that context. Then, game after game, I developed a taste for this role. As the level of the games I officiated increased, so did the rigor… and the pleasure for this function came naturally.
The sad reality for me: the only way to participate in high-level games is to put on a « BLUE » jersey!
BTVF: Your umpiring career quickly led you to Baseball5. How do you explain that?
J.M: Yes, Baseball5 arrived in the territory, and like many others, I tried hitting the small bouncy ball. The verdict was clear: I’m not gifted in this sport!
But like any discipline governed by the FFBS, you need an official on the field. So, I tried and discovered something very interesting: umpiring Baseball5 is not easy because plays at the bases are almost always « Bang-Bang plays, » and defensive errors are frequent. The timing of the officials’ calls is therefore very complicated to manage in Baseball5.
How did my career as a Baseball5 official begin? With a message to my regional arbitration commission president at the time, proposing that I get involved in Baseball5 in the Île-de-France region. And then, it was the TGV… the national arbitration commission immediately offered me the role of federal referee. Two months later, I flew to Lithuania to officiate at the first Baseball5 European Championship, where I had the chance to officiate a semifinal that secured a ticket to the World Cup in Mexico for the winning team (Lithuania, in this case).
BTVF: In 2021, you received federal honors. What does this award mean to you?
J.M: My experience at the 2020 Baseball5 European Championship allowed me to gather a lot of information, rule interpretations, and « tips » regarding the rotations of officials on the field.
I set out to put everything in writing, and then an ambitious but utopian idea emerged: I had all the elements to set up a Baseball5 Officials Level 1 and Level 2 training program that would be validated by the INFBS.
Starting from scratch was a huge challenge, but I was lucky to be supported by my entourage in creating the training materials, scenarios, and questionnaires…
The first Level 1 training sessions took place in 2021, and the 2022 Open de France de Baseball5 (in Montpellier) allowed us to validate future Level 2 officials.
A federal honor not because I’m the best (far from it) but because I took action. Quid pro quo… as they say, « that’s fair! »
BTVF: You have just successfully passed the exams to become a WBSC technical commissioner. How did it go, and can you explain the role of this position?
J.M: The role of the WBSC technical commissioner is to enforce the regulatory aspects of competitions governed by the WBSC (before, during, and after games), while ensuring that national teams receive fair treatment in all circumstances.
The goal is to find the right compromises and to successfully complete a competition, even in the face of unavoidable unforeseen events.
The WBSC Academy offers training modules on all topics related to the responsibilities of the technical commissioner (field management, specific competition rules, protocol, etc.). These modules are in the form of videos and allow participants to share their experiences (good or bad).
Certification is granted after a remote interview with two members of the « WBSC Baseball Technical Commission » to discuss the knowledge acquired during the training and thus issue the WBSC technical commissioner’s license.
BTVF: Baseball5 allows France to shine more in the baseball community due to its high world level. How do you see the evolution of this sport in the coming years, with its strengths and weaknesses?
J.M: France is active and proactive in this discipline. I can only hope that this momentum in the development of Baseball5 continues, with the goal of fiercely defending our position as the third-best team in the world.
BTVF: What can we wish you?
J.M: That my career as a Baseball5 official ends in 2023 after experiencing a Baseball5 U18 World Cup. The circle would then be complete.
I will then devote more time to training future officials… and to my role as a Technical Commissioner… and as a player.
