First Game Done!

[kstrunk]

Well... My first game as an official umpire is done. A LL Majors scrimmage last night. It went well, but boy do I have a lot to learn. You can read, study, and practice all you want, but the game is just different. Experience will always be the best teacher. I need to work on following the ball when it passes me (behind the plate), and positioning. This one was easy, low stress, but I know that most are not.

[clawdad]

Don't worry, it will come to you. Definitely good that it was a scrimmage, with less pressure on everyone. Great way to get some reps in without worrying about a game counting in the standings. Work on clearing the catcher by "opening the gate," which is difficult at this age due to the skill level of some of the catchers.

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[Mike Prince]

My first game ever wasn't a scrimmage, it felt like Game 7 of the World Series!

 

Glad your first one went well.  Get better each time out and you'll be on to something...

[kstrunk]

Thanks. My plan is to regularly observe where in my game I'm getting anxious, that'll be the spots I need to work on, and at the same time seek feedback from experienced and educated umps who may have opportunity to watch me or work with me. Thanks for the encouragement. 

[umpstu]

Thanks. My plan is to regularly observe where in my game I'm getting anxious, that'll be the spots I need to work on, and at the same time seek feedback from experienced and educated umps who may have opportunity to watch me or work with me. Thanks for the encouragement. 

Don't work on where you're getting anxious, work on the whole game. Work on ssssllloooooooooowwwwwwwwwinnnnnnnggggggg dooooooowwnnn. Nothing wrong with being slow and methodical behind the plate. Get a mentor, but be careful who the mentor is. Some guys who have been umpiring forever don't necessarily have a clue out there and make a horrible mentor. Ask around who the good high school umpires are and just observe their games. If you have any minor league teams around watch those umpires, especially if it is two man mechanics. Those guys can flat out umpire no matter what some people on here might say. Keep working at it and never believe a coach when he tells you great job. Get an evaluator to come out and watch you and have them be tough on you. If they gloss things over you'll never learn.

[clawdad]

Another thing you can do is have someone record your plate & base work. Even if you feel everything in your game was good, chances are you will see something in the video you never picked up on before. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Kevin_K]

It is so refreshing to hear the enthusiam of someone wanting to be good and get even better!

 

There is a line in The Patriot "Aim small, miss small" that may apply in the reverse here. I might suggest, as others have as well, to focus one one thing that you know you need to work on, master it, and then move to the next concern.

 

Keep at it!

[kstrunk]

Called my second scrimmage last night, solo. Had a blast! Ran my tail off, but had a blast. Felt more comfortable than on Thursday. Lots of good experience with interference calls and DP's. Got beat up toward the end when they put a kid behind the dish who never caught before. I can almost say he still hasn't caught! He let 3 of them go by without even moving, I took 2 of them, 1 on the forerarm, thank the Lord the pitcher wasn't a fireballer! 

 

I'm certain I need to work on being stationary for base calls. On about 50% I'm sure I was moving when the play happened. Angle was good, I just kept moving closer instead of stopping. 

[Mike Prince]

Getting set for base calls will come with experience.  Just remember that angle is better than distance - once you get the correct angle, stop and get set for the call.  Sometimes you will get neither angle nor distance.  In this case it is better to focus on getting set for the call; at least you will get one of the three parts right .