Engaging coaches...Part II of What to do/what not to do?

[SeeingEyeDog]

Greetings brothers,

     Elsewhere in this section of U-E, I started a discussion on mound visits. I got a lot of great responses so I wanted to start another thread here on engaging coaches. I work HS and travel ball exclusively and one of the goals I am setting for myself for the upcoming season is improving my coach interactions.

     It seems to me that disputes between umpires and coaches are divided into three categories: 1) A failure by an umpire to clearly communicate a judgement which leads to confusion on the coach's part 2) A coach being disappointed, angry and or frustrated with a player or his team's performance and taking it out on an umpire 3) Everything else (which are usually so unique they cannot be grouped).

     Under the NFHS discipline escalation, working 8 - 10 games per week from this June - November, I handed out 9 verbal warnings, restricted 3 coaches to their dugouts and had no ejections. (Not a brag, just the facts.) Like the leagues you work, most of the high school coaches here in my area also coach travel ball in the summer. So, I have taken to keeping a book whenever I have an unusual exchange with a coach or they land on the aforementioned discipline escalation. I brief my partner on any past anomalies involving the game-at-hand's coaches. I don't dwell on it or give a lot of detail, it's just part of the pre-game. I do my very best to start each game with a fresh slate with respect to past conduct. At the same time, if there are parts of the game or rules or behavioral tendencies that trigger a coach, I want to be aware of those so, my crew and I can avoid them.

    Ok, item #1..."shouting" across the field at a coach. I put the word shouting in quotes because not every one who shouts is mad. And there's the rub. Sometimes we're just shouting to be heard (90 feet or more on an open baseball field is a large space). Our "shouting" (and perhaps the coach's) is mis-interpreted as anger or negative emotion and the coach responds in defense also "shouting" and the situation devolves from there. Obviously, there are situations where a simple, "Time! Coach, that's enough..." and then putting the ball back into play can quickly defuse a situation. Sometimes given the situation and the particular coach's personality, APPROACHING him directly (because...you know, you're trying not to sound aggressive by "shouting" across the field at him) will backfire because many people take the act of approaching them as a threat, even if you might be telling them they just won the lottery or delivering "good news". We know there are situations and people for whom there is no avoiding a jackpot no matter what we do. That's what the discipline escalation clause is there for. That's the job. We know 'dis. Which brings us to...

     Item #2...How an umpire or crew should approach a coach. I had a partner tell me this summer that anytime either of us speaks to a coach beyond, "Coach, that's enough..." that BOTH of us should always be present when speaking to the coach. We discussed this during pre-game and I countered with, "Aren't there situations where both of us approaching a coach would unnecessarily escalate a mild situation?" He granted there were but, insisted that both of us present was a quality control measure to prevent any miscommunications or misunderstandings. Because our association hasn't announced this as an "official procedure" and none of my other partners ever mentioned this, I couldn't help but think something from a recent game was influencing him, but it's how he wanted to run things so, I agreed and our double-header went on without incident.

     In closing, if there was a magic bullet to confrontations between umpires and coaches, we would do that and only that. We have to be flexible and open in every situation, especially when a coach is being inflexible and closed minded. Ok, your turn...what techniques have worked best/worst for you? What's the best way to deal with a jaw-jacker? A snide commenter? A mumbler? A sarcasm jockey? When do you pull your partner in? When don't you? What gets a coach on your radar? Do you let him know he is on your radar?

~Dog 

 

 

[Kevin_K]

On 12/22/2020 at 11:35 PM, SeeingEyeDog said:

    Ok, item #1..."shouting" across the field at a coach.

I don't shout. I talk. I expect coaches to talk as well. The manner in which I comport myself can usually be mirrored in the way that anyone on the ball field addresses me. Coaches disagree with calls. Sometimes they even bark. They know what they have when I am on the game. If they start yelling at me I will engage them if I think it's necessary and proper, but I won't yell. I have raised my volume in talking to them from a distance as in this exchange

 

 As most experienced officials would likely suggest, yelling diminishes the effectiveness of the conversation. IIRC that's something from verbal judo or some other effective communication tome. If the coach asks for their express pass to the parking lot to be punched because they do not understand how to behave like a normal human being, punch it.

Item #2...How an umpire or crew should approach a coach. 

When anyone starts professing absolutes about how to handle situations, my spidey senses start tingling.  How would your partner who made the suggestion of never speaking to a coach alone have lineup changes handled? If my partner owns a call and the HC wants to have a discussion, I might be within earshot, but I am likely not going to insert myself unless I need to play rodeo clown. If there is a situation that warrants having me and my partner(s) talk to one or both coaches it would likely happen like that. Those, however, are rare.

Use your experience, common sense, and baseball IQ to help guide how you react to coaches and situations. Your receptive and expressive communication skills, both verbal and nonverbal are integral to your success on (and off) the field. And I would also offer a suggestion about not carrying past encounters onto the field. They may cloud your judgment.

YMMV.