MT_Blue

whats this slow down thing? in terms of getting back on the horse, i think it was brett farve (correct me if im wrong) who said some years back that you have to have amnesia between plays and then just settle back in and keep moving forward (or something to that effect), and that is something i have taken to and used to some success... of course some times its easier said than done.

i too try not to be whitty, ive found i get myself into more trouble or it gets me no where ><

around here there is only one school that plays under the lights, and sadly while i haven't had their varsity under them, i have had their JV (they play the Varsity game first just in case of weather problems), ive come to my own conclusion that being under the lights in general is an amazing experience. Congrats though! as some one posted earlier this is in fact why we do it!

i always giggle a little bit when hearing the announcers try and quantify what is going on..

First time ive heard of that...what exactly is it....

Nice!

I just Google Mapped it, and its 30ish miles north of Salt Lake, but we had Joe Robbinson, Steve Riswold, and Jim Craig as our clinicians

I know Softball catches a lot of crap at times, but I recently attended my first National Umpire School in Clinton, UT and am excited to put what i learned to work...now only if i wasn't getting snow outs here >< Cheers! Ken

this is still an issue? i agree with MS, if it happens it happens its not my place to try and stop this.. the guy should be ashamed

i would just like to point out, i was just at an ASA national school and none of what was posted above came up in any mechanics drills

just think in two years that wont be so easy ;P

while i find the humor i will politely disagree

agreeing with MSTaylor it really doesnt bother me to do either as long as correct mechanics are used...

dem announcements

Short answer: Dont suck! More so enjoy yourself and welcome back!

jocko your title reads resident smart a$$, it should read resident zen master...

I went with six (ive done more), i do alot of slow pitch where im at and on average those are 4 games a night (on time limits of course), but a normal day on a weekend tournament hits 6 or potentially more and while im tired at the end of the day i usually am still in a good enough mood to do more lol.

Finishing my undergraduate studies, most of the time my schedule is fairly flexible, outside of class i work as an undergraduate grunt in a lab and umpiring could probably be my job once it kicks in around here.

Our HS association words it as they would like to avoid putting newer officials called apprentices (the levels are Apprentice, Certified, and Master) into Varsity games, it can still happen depending on need (some regions are bigger than others with smaller official pools) but when it comes to tourney time, only masters can do them. the time between the ranks is dictated by years of service and games worked, you have to work for two years and work iirc 4 games (JV or V) to be eligible to test up. If you're like me something goes wrong for four years and you become the 4 year apprentice . For ASA/JO ball the level of play is decided by the assignor/UIC.

the poem struck a note in me... i agree with all of the posts above, something about stepping foot back on the field that sets me free

Hey all, So again looking at my wish list for the season i am looking to replace some sun glasses (because my normal pair got shattered due to an unfortunate accident ><), but i am looking at a pair of Easton Diamonds with interchangeable lenses and was curious what you would use brown lenses for..im sure i have had them in sunglasses before but are they similar to black lenses in the sense of when you would use them? I know ambers are used for evening/low light conditions but what about brown... also if anyone has any suggestions on a good pair please feel free to comment. Ken

Montana used to be strictly powder blue for HS softball, but i beleive this year they allowed Navy (score!).

i cant add anything that hasnt been said already...so welcome and Enjoy!

For highschool here it is waiting for you on arrival, for Travel ball/Slow pitch its every two weeks

fair enough question, first though i have to clarify, the Diamond IXC was a replacement chest protector since the one i inhereted needs some TLC, but nothing is wrong with my gear present, in fact i try and keep it in the shape it was when i got it. the main motivation behind this is to actually just start to accumulate a second set as a 'what if' protection or if someone forgets something we can make something work, a cracked or bent mask is possible in a 14-18U game if you get the right situation (and im sure if there was some alignment of the stars), and i have taken a few shots to the face so essentially the extra mask is insurance that if mine does finally crack im not completeley out of a weekends work.. I have heard from a number of people that it is good to have extra stuff so that is what im starting to accumulate. what i am NOT doing however is accumulating to stay up with the time so to say in terms of gear. Long story short just to have a what if set in case the worst happens. Ken