Umpire Training Virtual Camp

[Mad Mike]

I noticed Gerry Davis is selling an Umpire Training CD on-line now called "Virtual Umpire Camp". I read the press release issued through MLB. It sounds like a good product to purchase. Has anyone seen (or used) the content yet? If so, is it worth the time and money?

Here is a link to the Press Release for the item:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20080313&content_id=2424117&vkey=pr_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[ElkOil]

Hmm.  The link at the end of the article doesn't work.  I can't see the product site.  

I'm intrigued, though.

[LMSANS]

The article is from 2008.

[Majordave]

I have it.  Haven't looked at it since 2007 or 2008.  Don't remember if it was any good or not.

[maven]

I'm sure it has some useful bits. I can't comment on whether those bits are worth $30++.

But I can tell you that the idea of a "virtual camp" is laughable, and markets to officials who can't or won't prioritize and attend an actual clinic. Your $30 won't buy you real training.

There are 2 main kinds of knowledge: knowledge that you can express in a book, and know-how or skills knowledge. You go to a camp/clinic for skills knowledge because proper skills cannot be acquired from a book (or a CD-ROM, or a DVD). Even if you take video of yourself, you need a skilled instructor to watch with you to point out flaws in your mechanics. Watch all the video you want of Miguel Cabrera hitting a curve ball: you won't hit one any better until you get a proper hitting coach to train you up.

We learn skills by practicing them, and we can learn them well or badly. We learn good skills by being trained up in them by those who have the skills and know how to teach them. We acquire bad habits when we guess, or work without guidance, or watch "everything on YouTube about umpiring."

I'll save my $30 and attend a real clinic.

[LMSANS]

@Mad Mike

Mike, if you'd like, pm me your address and I'll send you mine. I've got both the 2007 & 2010 versions. I haven't looked at them since then.

[johnnyg08]

It's a good product.  

See if you can get at least 10 people to commit to buying it, then email them and ask for a deal.  I've heard of them working with people who purchase 10 or more.

[sdix00]

I have it.   I think it's worth the $30 I spent.    I refered to it a lot when I was starting out 5 years ago.   I actually copied the flash files to my phone so I could watch them more conventiently. 

 

It's more of a reference tool than an instructional source.   Especially if you learn visually, or have a hard time visualizing from just text. 

I have spent thousands learning how to do this job and I have wasted hundreds on garbage materials such as "see a balk call a balk".   This $30 was not a waste of money. 

 

If I were to prioritize my top few purchases, the virtual umpire camp would not be one of them, however.    I would recommend you prioritize your purchanses and do research because I think $30 toward "Maximizing the Two Umpire System" is a much better investment than the Umpire Camp CD. 

Check out this thread:

 

 

[johnnyg08]

I agree w/ @sdix00  If you can, buy Maximizing instead, but the jump drive is good.