First game jitters...what to expect and how to prepare

[lawump]

On 10/20/2021 at 12:58 PM, Umpire in Chief said:

I like when people are nervous/anxious about working a game. It tells me it's important to them. 

The next step is to overcome that nervousness and anxiousness. 

Personal story: I got my first regional HS assignment while I was the least experienced person on that crew the CC gave me the plate and I was anxious partially because of the level of the game and partially because I wanted to impress the others on my crew. About 2 innings in the CC comes in and tells me Hey you're doing a great job but you look like an F'ing robot back there loosen up and call YOUR game like you always do. He punched my CP and I didn't talk to him the rest of the game. 

Our post-game eval. The other 2 members of our crew both said I really settled in after the 2nd inning, not knowing what the CC had said to me. And I felt the difference too.

So my point is also be a good partner when you have a partner who is showing their nerves and help loosen them up.

Great on your CC and congrats to you.

Here is some advice I give to guys when working the plate in a "big game" (that is, when they are in the situation you were in).  I've posted this elsewhere, but I'll rehash it here.

The key to getting relaxed on the plate (when you're really nervous) is to get the game into a defensive flow.  Baseball is the only major American sport which is designed to be in a defensive flow.  Think about it:  it is the only sport in which the defense possesses the ball.  Everyone wants the batters swinging, the ball being put in play, and the defense making plays.  When those things are happening, the managers/coaches do not have time to waste yelling at you as they're too busy thinking ahead about their next possible coaching move because the game is moving along at a good pace.

So, how does one get the game in a good defensive flow?  Usually, at the beginning of the game the first pitch that you have to judge (a pitch where the batter does not swing) is an easy call.  Usually the pitcher is so jacked up that he either throws an obvious "ball" or he takes a lot off his velocity and throws a "down-the-middle" strike to calm his nerves.  HOWEVER, at some point (usually in the first inning) you're going to get that first "nut-cutter" pitch of the game.  This is a pitch that is borderline and could go either way.  THE FIRST TIME YOU GET A "NUT CUTTER" PITCH YOU HAVE TO CALL IT A "STRIKE".  If you can do that...if you can go onto the field with the mentality that you're going to call the very first borderline pitch you see a "strike"...it sends a message to everyone that you're calling strikes.  (And trust me, everyone gets the message.)  No one is going to argue with you at this point because (1) the game has just begun and (2) they're trying to figure out your zone and, thus, are not going to complain that you're being inconsistent.  

By calling this very first borderline pitch a "strike" you let both dugouts know that you're not planning on having a "walk-a-thon".  Furthermore, (even if subconsciously) you're telling them and yourself that you are not going to squeeze the zone just because you're nervous.

Where plate umpires go wrong when they're nervous is that they allow their nerves to affect their judgment (that's human nature).  Unfortunately, it is my experience that the vast majority of umpires who are really nervous end up "squeezing" the zone.  And, of course, this is the exact opposite of what you want to do in a "big game".  What you want to do in a "big game" is get the game in a defensive flow so that the game has a good pace and everyone is focused on the game (and not you).  

Call the first nut-cutter a strike, and everything settles in from there.  If you can do that, in 98% of these games your nerves will be gone by the second inning.  [The other 2% are games where the pitchers themselves cannot overcome their own nerves and the game turns into a walk fest...but at least that has nothing to do with you!]

My mantra coming out of the locker room in these games:  CALL THE FIRST NUT-CUTTER A STRIKE!!!

[Recontra]

On 9/9/2021 at 6:23 AM, MRG9999 said:

You should try to block yourself from doing your son’s game at all cost. You may think you can be fair to both sides but the word perception will creep into the parents of your opponents. 99.9% of the time it’s guaranteed that the parents are talking about you and waiting for the first controversial call.

I think for Little League, it's fine to do your son's games, especially if you're the only trained volunteer umpire available. The alternative would be to just have another parent pulled from the stands who might not have the faintist clue. Yes parents will talk, but they'd also talk about any other volunteer parent pulled from the stands at the last minute. They'll say, "It's not fair that team has its own trained umpire!" and stuff like that. Who cares? Always grab a parent from the other team to work the bases for you, or if they have no experience at all, just plant them between 1st and 2nd and have them make all calls on those bases, you take everything else. If you're fair, word will get around. If they've got a parent who wants to call balls and strikes, welcome it, and jump on the bases. When I did my own son's LL games (that's how I started), I always insisted on having a parent from the other team work the game with me to avoid the appearance of bias. By the end of the season, most teams were telling me they'd actually prefer me to work the game by myself if there weren't another trained umpire--but not all 😀. And if a team suggests you let their designated umpire parent work the plate, say, "That would be awesome!" That will probably not happen very often as long as you show you're totally fine with that.

And if you work in a Little League with lots of trained umpires, that's even better. And if they don't want you working your son's games because they have enough other volunteer umpires (used to be like that a lot of places not too long ago), more power to that league. But don't let them send you across the complex to work another game instead of watching your son's game at the same time--because that can happen as well if you let it. Most of all, have fun!!

[mac266]

OP, I'm curious to know how it went!

Last bit of advice:  Remember the rules between softball and baseball are vastly different.  That's why I don't do both.  I've seen very experienced umpires misapply a softball rule in a baseball game, and I don't want to be that guy!