How Long Until You Felt Comfortable?

[Tksjewelry]

There were some guys in my association that had nothing but great things to say last week about @MidAmUmp clinic. They all suggested to try to make it to that one. I'm definitely going to try this year. Wish there was a master list of clinics somewhere. I love to find one slightly closer to home (although we do have a cabin in the Ozarks so depending on how far from there... ). Convincing hubs to let me travel for a weekend with a bunch of guys he doesn't know, I'm not sure how well that would fly.

[MidAmUmp]

We get several from the Omaha area. It's not that far. Bring your husband with you.

We had a 16 year old girl come one year.

[Tksjewelry]

We get several from the Omaha area. It's not that far. Bring your husband with you.

We had a 16 year old girl come one year.

I'm trying to get him into umpiring! He is a boilermaker and they hardly work during the summer and he needs something to do or I may have to buy more life insurance, lol. I'll have to wait and see how arm wrestling season goes before he makes a decision.

Was that 16 year old girl from Omaha?

[johnnyg08]

Proper training will get you comfortable quicker.

Attend formal training not just an association clinic.

 

There are guys who have never umpired before who can move on to work Minor League baseball after 4-5 weeks of umpire school.  

 

Proper training makes things go a bit easier. 

 

The key for me is to never become complacent.  When that happens, you get surprised and plays blow up. 

 

For me I never feel 100% comfortable out there....for me there's always an element of intensity...I'm just not good enough to be the loosey-goosey guy out there then expect to get my calls right.  That being said, I try to stay relaxed because I'm confident in my knowledge and training.  

 

I'm usually confident in my partner to do his job so I can focus on doing my job.  I feel like my quality goes down if I'm not confident in my partner because I lose focus.  

[catsbackr]

"Comfortable" is a loaded word. I'm not sure I am ever completely "comfortable" out there. I have certainly experienced the game slowing down for me multiple times, but we all know there is a play out there with our name on it. Though that's not something that I dwell on, I try to constantly remain vigilant so I don't get surprised (which always leads to bad things).

Perhaps the better question is, when did you reach a point where you felt "confident" when walking out on the field? I honestly don't remember, but I feel that I have moved up at the right pace so that I have had the confidence in myself to work each game at each level, without much in the way of anxiety when working that first game at the next level.

My very first HS playoff game was on the dish in Division 1. I had actually never even worked a regular season varsity D1 game to that point, but I felt that I was ready for the challenge and I didn't disappoint myself in the least. I was pleased that the association had the confidence in me to put me in that position.

Keep working, keep learning and keep challenging yourself. Try to work up levels as much as possible in the off season and you'll accelerate your learning process and your confidence.

Wow, you'd never had a game at that level before and your association gave you the plate in the playoffs at a level you'd never worked? Wow.


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[ElkOil]

"Comfortable" is a loaded word.  I'm not sure I am ever completely "comfortable" out there.  I have certainly experienced the game slowing down for me multiple times, but we all know there is a play out there with our name on it.  Though that's not something that I dwell on, I try to constantly remain vigilant so I don't get surprised (which always leads to bad things).

 

Perhaps the better question is, when did you reach a point where you felt "confident" when walking out on the field?  I honestly don't remember, but I feel that I have moved up at the right pace so that I have had the confidence in myself to work each game at each level, without much in the way of anxiety when working that first game at the next level.

 

My very first HS playoff game was on the dish in Division 1.  I had actually never even worked a regular season varsity D1 game to that point, but I felt that I was ready for the challenge and I didn't disappoint myself in the least.  I was pleased that the association had the confidence in me to put me in that position.

 

Keep working, keep learning and keep challenging yourself.  Try to work up levels as much as possible in the off season and you'll accelerate your learning process and your confidence.

 

Two weird things happened to me the other day during our last training scrimmage with our instructors.  One of them told me, "The only thing keeping you from being the dictionary definition of a perfect umpire is that you look at your indicator too much."  I smiled and said, "Okay, I'll look at it less."

 

Then I was told that maybe next year I could work some college scrimmages.  

 

Now, I don't know how much of what I was told was just encouraging talk and how much was genuine intention, but I was certainly encouraged regardless and I KNOW there are a number of things for me to work on and improve, so I'm not fooling myself into thinking too highly of my abilities.  I'm taking what they said with a grain of salt, but taking away some positive opinions and pats on the back.  My instructors gave me great feedback and advice.  

 

Our season begins tonight, but all the games were canceled due to rain and cold, so tomorrow may be the first game of my umpiring career if the weather allows.

[alan2703]

I was brought up never to be comfortable in what you do, for there is always something to improve on,perfection is a goal you will never reach but you should always be trying to reach it. I guess part of the reason for that is being in emergency services you get comfortable you get lazy, make mistakes and bad things happen. Confident is another you should be confident in yourself rely on your training and experience and when in doubt ask for help from someone with more experience than you preferable that person that has that quiet time of confidence they are the ones that will most likely help. Always found the loud mouth is hiding something and covers it by being loud.

[Majordave]

@alan2703 said:

"You get comfortable you get lazy.."

Love it. Live it.

So true in so many facets of life. Work hard. Focus. Have great games.

[MidAmUmp]

 

We get several from the Omaha area. It's not that far. Bring your husband with you.

We had a 16 year old girl come one year.

I'm trying to get him into umpiring! He is a boilermaker and they hardly work during the summer and he needs something to do or I may have to buy more life insurance, lol. I'll have to wait and see how arm wrestling season goes before he makes a decision.

Was that 16 year old girl from Omaha?

 

No...she was from the Bronx. She was extremely timid and we couldn't get her to be emphatic or convincing. We kept telling her that she had to project confidence with her voice. So on her next strike call she screams, "Strike, G-d D----t!" I freaking lost it.

[Thunderheads]

 

"Comfortable" is a loaded word. I'm not sure I am ever completely "comfortable" out there. I have certainly experienced the game slowing down for me multiple times, but we all know there is a play out there with our name on it. Though that's not something that I dwell on, I try to constantly remain vigilant so I don't get surprised (which always leads to bad things).

Perhaps the better question is, when did you reach a point where you felt "confident" when walking out on the field? I honestly don't remember, but I feel that I have moved up at the right pace so that I have had the confidence in myself to work each game at each level, without much in the way of anxiety when working that first game at the next level.

My very first HS playoff game was on the dish in Division 1. I had actually never even worked a regular season varsity D1 game to that point, but I felt that I was ready for the challenge and I didn't disappoint myself in the least. I was pleased that the association had the confidence in me to put me in that position.

Keep working, keep learning and keep challenging yourself. Try to work up levels as much as possible in the off season and you'll accelerate your learning process and your confidence.

Wow, you'd never had a game at that level before and your association gave you the plate in the playoffs at a level you'd never worked? Wow.

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Don't think college when you see Division 1.  Steve has done varsity, that's what his playoff game was.  It was simply a [California terms] a Division 1 playoff, which if understood correctly, means, better quality of baseball.  Technically ... 'never doing a game at that level' is sort of misleading.

 

No need for "Wow" twice here ........... It's not like he went from only doing Freshman games, to a Varsity playoff game....

 

Plus; if he wasn't capable, he would have never been given the assignment

[catsbackr]

In my mind, the way it was worded, it definitely deserved 2 wows.  I'm sure Steve was more than capable to work at that level, but..

 

Never worked at a certain level before, assigned a game at that unworked level and the game assigned is a Playoff game.

 

Wow.

[Thunderheads]

In my mind, the way it was worded, it definitely deserved 2 wows.  I'm sure Steve was more than capable to work at that level, but..

 

Never worked at a certain level before, assigned a game at that unworked level and the game assigned is a Playoff game.

 

Wow.

that's why I clarified it ....   "level" is misleading ......  (caveat: NOT a slam at Steve either)

[Birdieseeker]

We get several from the Omaha area. It's not that far. Bring your husband with you.

We had a 16 year old girl come one year.

Was that 16 year old girl from Omaha?

No...she was from the Bronx. She was extremely timid and we couldn't get her to be emphatic or convincing. We kept telling her that she had to project confidence with her voice. So on her next strike call she screams, "Strike, G-d D----t!" I freaking lost it.

That's pretty awesome. You seem to have brought her out of her shell. Then again, I've never met a timid girl from the Bronx! ðŸ»

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[grayhawk]

 

In my mind, the way it was worded, it definitely deserved 2 wows.  I'm sure Steve was more than capable to work at that level, but..

 

Never worked at a certain level before, assigned a game at that unworked level and the game assigned is a Playoff game.

 

Wow.

that's why I clarified it ....   "level" is misleading ......  (caveat: NOT a slam at Steve either)

 

 

No worries guys.  I was pretty surprised to get the D1 playoff assignment as well.  Most guys get their first playoff assignment in lower level games.  It took 4 years in the HS unit to get my first playoff assignment, and that about as fast as you can get there.  I know in other areas of the country, guys work varsity as early as their first year, and are working playoffs much quicker as well.  You really have to pay your dues out here.

 

This year, I have a schedule with many D1 games, so I guess I must not have sucked too bad.  

[maven]

This year, I have a schedule with many D1 games, so I guess I must not have sucked too bad.  

Or, perhaps, you were really good at it.

 

I'll be here all week.

[Thunderheads]

 

This year, I have a schedule with many D1 games, so I guess I must not have sucked too bad.  

Or, perhaps, you were really good at it.

 

I'll be here all week.

 

[Majordave]

@Thunderheads    @ Grayhawk

 

I was thinking the same thing.  

 

Sick minds....... or is it great minds?