First Game Under My Belt - I've Got A Ton of Improving to Do!

[conbo61]

"Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment."

[BigUmpire]

 

 

Hang in there, it's just a game, you'll be fine. Look at it this way, 2 seconds after the end of the game, the only thing that the kids were worried about was their next Xbox game

 

Totally untrue.  Snack first, then Xbox.

 

You forgot the nap.

 

For umpires?

I like it!

[kylejt]

10u, in my opinion, is the hardest game to call. Errant pitching, bad catchers,small players, clueless coaches, balls thrown all over the place and no "expected" plays. And that's where most umpires start their journey. Get dialed in at 10u, and the older kids are actually easier.

[mbrown2097]

Sorry, Most difficult is T-Ball and women's softball..    

The older the boys get, the easier the game.

The older the girls get, the more difficult the game.

[RingEmUp]

 

I suggest you don your mask, grab your indicator, and find a game on tv. Work the dish with whomever has the stick for that game. While alot of what they do isnt recommended, your timing will improve. Call the game with the televised crew as if you were working the plate in a real game. Sounds crazy, but it helps. I mean LITERALLY get into your stance, lock in when HP locks in, call the pitches with him, everything. Remove your mask when he does. Really call the game. Try it.o

Just make sure no one else is home LOL.  Don't go to the bar to do this...but good advice nonetheless.

 

 

I think going to a bar would be a great idea.  Go in full plate gear and really get into it.  Wear two ball bags and keep a couple baseballs and your brush in one and a beer in the other. 

[BigUmpire]

10u, in my opinion, is the hardest game to call. Errant pitching, bad catchers,small players, clueless coaches, balls thrown all over the place and no "expected" plays. And that's where most umpires start their journey. Get dialed in at 10u, and the older kids are actually easier.

Come to Georgia and do an 8U Hybrid game!

Pandemonium all game long!

[PonyUmpire]

As people have said, calling balls and strikes is the hardest with younger kids.  It's very rare that I walk away from one of those games satisfied with my zone.

[guyinaredhat]

As people have said, calling balls and strikes is the hardest with younger kids.  It's very rare that I walk away from one of those any games satisfied with my zone.

 

 

 

Fixed it for ya !

[PonyUmpire]

 

As people have said, calling balls and strikes is the hardest with younger kids.  It's very rare that I walk away from one of those any games satisfied with my zone.

 

 

 

Fixed it for ya !

 

 

That's where you're wrong.  I take pride in being brutal behind the dish.  As such, I'm always satisfied with my strike zone. 

[BigUmpire]

As people have said, calling balls and strikes is the hardest with younger kids. It's very rare that I walk away from one of those games satisfied with my zone.

It takes 2 people establish a GOOD zone.

A GOOD pitcher and a good umpire.

Rarely do BOTH show up in a youth game.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RingEmUp]

 

As people have said, calling balls and strikes is the hardest with younger kids. It's very rare that I walk away from one of those games satisfied with my zone.

It takes 2 people establish a GOOD zone.

A GOOD pitcher and a good umpire.

Rarely do BOTH show up in a youth game.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

I must have gotten lucky last night then, every pitcher was pretty good and I left feeling good about my strike zone and this was a 10u game.   

[ump570]

Mike Prince makes a great point about finding a mentor and learning from more experienced guys. My first 2 years umpiring, I was pretty much going it alone, and it was difficult. I made a lot of mistakes and I didn't have anywhere to get feedback. I sort of got roped into umping because I was a coach in a new babe ruth league and I was one of the only guys willing to umpire. Anyway, I fell in love with the job, and now I umpire over 200 games a season. Fortunately, the last two years, I've had very good partners and they have helped me improve tremendously. Timing is the key to everything. There is no need to rush your calls. Make sure you see the play all the way through to the end and then take a moment to process all the information before calling it. Then, call it and sell it if you have to. There is no need to go crazy selling routine plays. I notice some young guys I've been mentoring are so enthusiastic that they even try to sell routine outs at first. However, I'd rather see that than a lazy ump who doesn't seem sure of himself on any calls. Just stick with it and come here as much as possible. This site has really helped me. Working youth ball you will have lots of situations arise that will help you learn fast. But it can be overwhelming at times. You will have obstruction, interference, and all kinds of other crazy stuff that doesn't usually happen at higher levels. Learn from it. You'll get better each time out. Good luck.