New Ump Ready to Get Started

[Baton Rouge Blue]

What's up, guys?

 

I'm a new ump from Baton Rouge, LA ready to get into the game. I'm 18 and I've played my entire life so I am excited to get back onto a field but on the officiating side of the game. I never realized just how intricate and challenging the umpiring side of the game can be. Reading this forum has been a huge eye opener. I have just started inquiring with different leagues and organizations as to how to get properly trained and get some assignments. Just the little bit I've read on these forums has already given me a ton of knowledge that I am very thankful for. Can't wait to begin sharing stories and opinions with all of you!

 

Thanks, 

BRB

[BigUmpire]

What's up, guys?

 

I'm a new ump from Baton Rouge, LA ready to get into the game. I'm 18 and I've played my entire life so I am excited to get back onto a field but on the officiating side of the game. I never realized just how intricate and challenging the umpiring side of the game can be. Reading this forum has been a huge eye opener. I have just started inquiring with different leagues and organizations as to how to get properly trained and get some assignments. Just the little bit I've read on these forums has already given me a ton of knowledge that I am very thankful for. Can't wait to begin sharing stories and opinions with all of you!

 

Thanks, 

BRB

Register as a LL umpire on the LL website.

Watch all of the short videos they have .

A good start that you can do at home.

 

CALL STRIKES!

[BigUmpire]

Best thing to do is this.

1. Call as much as you can until next January.
2. Get very fit.
3. Read this forum every day.
4. Find a short clinic soon and attend.
5. GO TO THE UMPIRE SCHOOL. https://www.therightcall.net/register.aspx

Life changer to be sure. You will not regret doing this.Betcha most umpires on this forum wished that went to one of these great umpire schools.

 

If you sign up as a premium member here you will get a discount for the school and a discount to the best supplier of gear in the US, Ump- Attire http://www.ump-attire.com/

 

See you at the show in a few years.

 

BTW- girls at this stage in your life will deter you from attaining real worthwhile goals.

Find the right one later, after 30, when you are behind the plate in a Cardinals Cubs game.

 

One more thing:

Learn Spanish

[Baton Rouge Blue]

 

What's up, guys?

 

I'm a new ump from Baton Rouge, LA ready to get into the game. I'm 18 and I've played my entire life so I am excited to get back onto a field but on the officiating side of the game. I never realized just how intricate and challenging the umpiring side of the game can be. Reading this forum has been a huge eye opener. I have just started inquiring with different leagues and organizations as to how to get properly trained and get some assignments. Just the little bit I've read on these forums has already given me a ton of knowledge that I am very thankful for. Can't wait to begin sharing stories and opinions with all of you!

 

Thanks, 

BRB

Register as a LL umpire on the LL website.

Watch all of the short videos they have .

A good start that you can do at home.

 

CALL STRIKES!

 

Done. Thank you!

[Baton Rouge Blue]

Best thing to do is this.

1. Call as much as you can until next January.
2. Get very fit.
3. Read this forum every day.
4. Find a short clinic soon and attend.
5. GO TO THE UMPIRE SCHOOL. https://www.therightcall.net/register.aspx

Life changer to be sure. You will not regret doing this.Betcha most umpires on this forum wished that went to one of these great umpire schools.

 

If you sign up as a premium member here you will get a discount for the school and a discount to the best supplier of gear in the US, Ump- Attire http://www.ump-attire.com/

 

See you at the show in a few years.

 

BTW- girls at this stage in your life will deter you from attaining real worthwhile goals.

Find the right one later, after 30, when you are behind the plate in a Cardinals Cubs game.

 

One more thing:

Learn Spanish

Thanks for the advice! I plan on getting into some late summer/fall leagues and tournaments to gain some experience for when the real heavy competition starts. 

 

Thankfully my high school athletic career just ended and I have been a catcher all of my life so I am still in relatively good shape, especially for PU duties. This forum has already taught me a lot and I do plan on attending a clinic/school. 

 

Don't even get me started on 18 year old girls. Just got through with one of those nutcases. 

[BigUmpire]

 

Best thing to do is this.

1. Call as much as you can until next January.
2. Get very fit.
3. Read this forum every day.
4. Find a short clinic soon and attend.
5. GO TO THE UMPIRE SCHOOL. https://www.therightcall.net/register.aspx

Life changer to be sure. You will not regret doing this.Betcha most umpires on this forum wished that went to one of these great umpire schools.

 

If you sign up as a premium member here you will get a discount for the school and a discount to the best supplier of gear in the US, Ump- Attire http://www.ump-attire.com/

 

See you at the show in a few years.

 

BTW- girls at this stage in your life will deter you from attaining real worthwhile goals.

Find the right one later, after 30, when you are behind the plate in a Cardinals Cubs game.

 

One more thing:

Learn Spanish

Thanks for the advice! I plan on getting into some late summer/fall leagues and tournaments to gain some experience for when the real heavy competition starts. 

 

Thankfully my high school athletic career just ended and I have been a catcher all of my life so I am still in relatively good shape, especially for PU duties. This forum has already taught me a lot and I do plan on attending a clinic/school. 

 

Don't even get me started on 18 year old girls. Just got through with one of those nutcases. 

 

Wait untill they turn 40. Then they are loony and have lawyers.

[JaxRolo]

Don't even get me started on 18 year old girls. Just got through with one of those nutcases. What's her number!

[blue23ll]

Welcome to this sometimes zany world of umpiring. Once you get hooked you won't ever want to stop, until they cart your carcass off the field. My advise to a newbie:

 

1) Find an association with a good reputation and training program. Little League is a great starting point, BUT you can only learn so much and go so far in LL.

2) Find a mentor, locally who will work games with you and give you honest feedback.

3) You have 2 ears and 1 mouth, use them in that proportion. 

4) When you first start out  you don't know what you don't know. So, be quiet and learn.

5) As you gain more experience you begin to figure out what you really don't know. So, be quiet and continue to learn.

6) Eventually you will learn that you never stop learning. So, be quiet, observe those around you.

7) Become a trainer and mentor someone, pass the torch.

[BigUmpire]

You may be tired of reading after 12 years of school BUT these are entertaining books about umpiring.

 

Most of the umpires on this forum have bad eyesight SO we get them in an audio format. Enjoy!

 

 

Ron Luciano's “The Umpire Strikes Backâ€.

Durwood Merrill “Your out and you are ugly tooâ€

Ken Kaiser “Planet of the umpsâ€

Bruce Weber “As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travels in the Land of Umpiresâ€

 

We are all under the assumption you are reading a rulebook EVERY DAY, CORRECT?

[BigUmpire]

 

Don't even get me started on 18 year old girls. Just got through with one of those nutcases. What's her number!

 

Chief Rolo with a nutcase 18 year old!

That would be fun to watch.

Like a dog chasing a car!

[Baton Rouge Blue]

 

Don't even get me started on 18 year old girls. Just got through with one of those nutcases. What's her number!

 

I couldn't do that to you. No one deserves that BS, definitely not a fellow ump. 

[Baton Rouge Blue]

You may be tired of reading after 12 years of school BUT these are entertaining books about umpiring.

 

Most of the umpires on this forum have bad eyesight SO we get them in an audio format. Enjoy!

 

 

Ron Luciano's “The Umpire Strikes Backâ€.

Durwood Merrill “Your out and you are ugly tooâ€

Ken Kaiser “Planet of the umpsâ€

Bruce Weber “As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travels in the Land of Umpiresâ€

 

We are all under the assumption you are reading a rulebook EVERY DAY, CORRECT?

Wait... I thought to be an ump you HAVE to have bad eyesight? I didn't know they let you ump if you weren't blind! I'm 20/20 so I guess I have to have a reverse lasik done. 

[Baton Rouge Blue]

Wait untill they turn 40. Then they are loony and have lawyers.

 

 

One of my biggest fears is dealing with this one day. 

Welcome to this sometimes zany world of umpiring. Once you get hooked you won't ever want to stop, until they cart your carcass off the field. My advise to a newbie:

 

1) Find an association with a good reputation and training program. Little League is a great starting point, BUT you can only learn so much and go so far in LL.

2) Find a mentor, locally who will work games with you and give you honest feedback.

3) You have 2 ears and 1 mouth, use them in that proportion. 

4) When you first start out  you don't know what you don't know. So, be quiet and learn.

5) As you gain more experience you begin to figure out what you really don't know. So, be quiet and continue to learn.

6) Eventually you will learn that you never stop learning. So, be quiet, observe those around you.

7) Become a trainer and mentor someone, pass the torch.

Great advice! Thank you! After hating umpires most of my life as a catcher, it'll be very interesting to be on the other side of the equation from now on. 

[blue23ll]

And on the subject of reading, keep a rule book handy all the time. Read it everyday, cover to cover to start. Then as you do games and run across situations that you aren't sure about, read that section of the book. Also, get a casebook and read that.  Several books that I find very valuable are written by Carl Childress, I think the most important one is Baseball Rule Differences, The BRD, this is the book I read more than the rule book in fact. Other books by Papa C, 151 Ways to Ruin a Baseball Game and The Umpires Book of Lists.

 

Take every online rule quiz or test you can find. Try to get 100% every time. Know the rule book inside and out.

[Mike Prince]

Welcome!

 

My advice (in addition to the fine advice above) is to look at mistakes you make on the field (and yes, you will make them) as opportunities to learn.  Most of us screw something up one time before we figure out the right way to do it.  Take those situations out on the field back here and to the rule book and you will not make the same mistake twice.

 

And before @kylejt chimes in, make sure you buy the best gear you can the first time you buy it.  Don't make a common mistake and cheap out on your gear, only to lose most of that investment when you inevitably realize you need to upgrade..

[iankelleyumpire]

Welcome! Go into with an open mind, really try hard to think of it from an umpire standpoint and not the player aspect; you get an amazing sense of the game and newfound understanding. 

 

Feel free to ever ask questions on here! Thats why we're all here. 

[Umpire in Chief]

Welcome to the site. It sounds like your off to a good start.