Losing interest

[Scissors]

For you guys who have been doing this a long time, have you gotten burned out?

This is my 4th year of umpiring, and I just haven't been feeling it at all this season. No particular reason, but it just seems like the passion for it is has consistently been fading game to game. Guess it's burn out. After the high school season, I'm taking the rest of the year off, and might take next season off as well. Maybe some time away is what I need. Anyone else have this, and what have you done about it?

[NavyBlue]

What is the "it" for which the passion is fading?  Gotta define the passion and that might help reignite it.  Are you in in for the money?  Love of the game?  Joy of providing a game for the kids?  A craft you want to perfect (or at least achieve excellence)?  Is it just an evening hobby?  Figure out the why and you'll find the answer.

 

[The Man in Blue]

Absolutely, you are not alone and it is not unusual.  Many people will feel it after a few particularly bad games or a rotten, hot tournament.  Some people just get it after a few months of grinding.

DEFNITELY take some time off.  If you can, meet the commitments that you have and then don't schedule anything for a while.  You can say you are "taking the summer off" but I would urge you not to even say that.  Just take a week or two at a time.  If it ends up being the whole summer, then it ends up being the whole summer.  I can guarantee that you can find games if it passes in a few weeks or a month.

Around here, school ball is over in mid-May.  While "summer" tournaments have already started, I won't work them for a week or two after school ball.  This year I won't be doing as much summer ball since the softball league I usually work during the week folded.  (I also decided I am not teaching summer school for the first time in three years.)  I'll work most weekends and even maybe do some travelling since I know my weeknights are going to be free.  Normally though, by late June I am usually burned out and ready for a break since I had been going several nights a week and most weekends since early March.

When I was down in Mississippi, the season was MUCH longer ... but I stayed pretty fresh by working new places every opportunity I could.  I travelled all around the area that I lived, and even went to the New Orleans area and Atlanta area.  I found that really  helped by not seeing the same teams and same people over and over ... 

The main thing, remember you do this because you enjoy it.  If you aren't enjoying it, take a break or do something new.  Dare I even suggest, try jumping over to softball for a while.  It is a change of pace!

 

 

 

[umpstu]

1 hour ago, Scissors said:

For you guys who have been doing this a long time, have you gotten burned out?

This is my 4th year of umpiring, and I just haven't been feeling it at all this season. No particular reason, but it just seems like the passion for it is has consistently been fading game to game. Guess it's burn out. After the high school season, I'm taking the rest of the year off, and might take next season off as well. Maybe some time away is what I need. Anyone else have this, and what have you done about it?

I think as the season rolls on and you start having to umpire some crappy games it's pretty common to get a little down.  I've had years where I really doubted I was coming back, but I really love being out on a field with those kids. And I can't exactly abandon them as there are just enough umpires to barely cover games now.  The kids keep my mind young and my body old.  My wife thinks I'm too old to continue so I don't even discuss my aches, pains and bruises because she now says she doesn't feel bad for me anymore.  Guess I'll just keep complaining to my fellow umpires and continue to hear about what a pussy I am.

[noumpere]

pick up a different sport to work in the off-seasons -- helps to refresh the batteries to do that.  Especially true in areas where baseball runs 9-12 months a year -- keep baseball to a few months, then work something else, then back to baseball (with a bit of time off between seasons)

[Kevin_K]

I go between baseball and boys volleyball in the spring. It helps significantly in preventing burnout. Even though I am working almost every day, not having the mental stress of working the plate every is a relief.

In addition to being completely different in terms of the game, officiating volleyball never involves being hit with a 90 mph projectile, rain, cold, multiple layers of clothing, or temporary fences that camouflage doubles as home runs.

[FranklinT]

14 hours ago, Scissors said:

For you guys who have been doing this a long time, have you gotten burned out?

This is my 4th year of umpiring, and I just haven't been feeling it at all this season. No particular reason, but it just seems like the passion for it is has consistently been fading game to game. Guess it's burn out. After the high school season, I'm taking the rest of the year off, and might take next season off as well. Maybe some time away is what I need. Anyone else have this, and what have you done about it?

I struggle balancing everything off the field - traveling, scrambling to maintain the house, errands, getting out of work to make a 4:30/5:00 HS game (I have flexibility and it’s still hard.). Love being on the field but everything else can be a burnout.  Find some balance and give yourself some time off as needed. Everyone is different. 

[Mister B]

make sure you are taking some days off. There are days when I feel bad that there aren't enough officials to cover all games, but I need to keep my sanity. Don't be afraid to say "no".

[MadMax]

20 hours ago, Scissors said:

For you guys who have been doing this a long time, have you gotten burned out?

More times than a strand of cheap Christmas tree 🎄 lights. And that’s over 14 years of doing this. It especially gets taxing when you’ve got a span of weeks wherein you’re doing at least a game per day, perhaps even 2-4 per day. And, there’s no lull or discernible end in sight because if you’re not blocked, an assigner will drop a game on you. 

At least my summer league circuit has an end – 72 games in 80 days, plus 3-5 playoff/chip games. 

I have an experienced guess as to why you’re feeling burned out – you’re in a routine of performance, with no measurable change or metric to (self-)judge that performance! There’s no progression, escalation, or boxes-to-check like a big ol Road Bingo board. Innings just blend together. And, what’s eerie, we subconsciously begin to regress only to have something with which we can measure a change! 

What else are you occupying your time, attention, or talents with? If umpiring is your sole occupation or employment, unless you’re one of the MLB/MiLB U’s, I strongly encourage you to find something else to supplement it. For the sake of your sanity, you’ve got to. If you want to stay “adjacent” to umpiring due to physical or temporal convenience, then do what several colleagues here have suggested, and do an alternative sport. In my case, I do soccer and hockey. Hockey has no “officiating” importance for me; I use it as a physical challenge to my skills, and I purposely only “officiate” peewees and bantams, which allows me to focus on my footwork and edges more than on the players! 

Soccer is ridiculously easy. I played it at a semi-pro level for 14 years, it doesn’t take much to officiate it proficiently. As @Kevin_K mentioned, there’s no one throwing things at high velocity at me, I don’t have to “lock in”, I don’t have to stand in one spot, hands-on-knees for an interminable amount of time as my colleague calls yet… another… ball!… and, if a coach wants to argue and get animated about something, I can run away from him and just bellow, “Advantage! Play on!”, with the occasional, “What’s that? Can’t hear you! Clock’s running!” 

If officiating is your only gig, you have to have a certain disposition to withstand the grind of it. I _tried_ to supplement it with work at The Big Rainforest Place, but that will grind you to bits with the physical routine. I don’t see how folks do it. It’s the same routine, shift after shift. So, instead, I have found much greater satisfaction and diversity in doing home renovation. The variety of challenges breaks up the monotony and routine, and gives me something else to contemplate while I’m driving back from a ballfield, questioning my meaning in life after doing a 2.5 hour, 16-2 JV game. 

[dumbdumb]

if you want to try officiating the sports with more personal physical movement involved for the official, do what @madmax says and go for the hockey, soccer, basketball and in 2 of those 3 u still have the weather elements.

If you want more comraderie, then football with i believe 5 guys for a high school game try that. To knock out the weather elements, volleyball or swimming to go along with basketball and wrestling (sorry, not choreographed wrestling as Rick Flair says) are some choices.

Or, just block a few more personal sanity days on the calendar and watch bull Durham reruns with max patkin, or a super slow pitch softball game if you like high scoring games that use a ball and bat.

[Thatsnotyou]

11 hours ago, FranklinT said:

I struggle balancing everything off the field - traveling, scrambling to maintain the house, errands, getting out of work to make a 4:30/5:00 HS game (I have flexibility and it’s still hard.). Love being on the field but everything else can be a burnout.  Find some balance and give yourself some time off as needed. Everyone is different. 

This is a great point. Get to work early so I can leave early. Get games as close as possible to work or home to limit commute/missed time at either place. Jump in on bedtime, dishes etc. immediately upon getting home when I just want to sit down. Wives/Moms are solo when we’re out. 
 

I don’t think people truly appreciate what officials go through to get their game in. They just see two umpires show up like clockwork. Two hours of work for X pay sounds “ok” until you factor in other things.

 

Oh, and I better go run a load of laundry so I have socks and undershirts for these games…

[SeeingEyeDog]

4 minutes ago, Thatsnotyou said:

Oh, and I better go run a load of laundry so I have socks and undershirts for these games…

...and even though I don't get home until 10:30PM and have a game tomorrow morning at 9:00AM, which I have to be up and out by 7:30AM? I dare not run that laundry since the machines are near to the kids' bedrooms so, I have to load it and set it on delay and hope that I did enough umpire laundry previously that I don't need anything tomorrow that is currently dirty.

It's nice having laundry upstairs so, we're not lugging it around but, it's hard on the umpire that lives there...

~Dawg

[aaluck]

On 4/27/2023 at 10:01 PM, Scissors said:

For you guys who have been doing this a long time, have you gotten burned out?

You are far from alone, Im right there with you.  This year, despite a shortage in my association, I cut back to one day a week--two in an emergency situation.  I'm going to set a mileage block for football as well.

 

[Thunderheads]

On 4/27/2023 at 11:01 PM, Scissors said:

For you guys who have been doing this a long time, have you gotten burned out?

For sure!!  My question to you that looks like it hasn't been posed is .... how many days a week do you work?  I saw this coming for me about 5 years or so ago and I started scheduling 'days off'.  That helped a lot at first, but then, I dropped off more.  My main season is high-school, and I was working every day but Friday.  TOO much.  I spoke to my assignor and took Tuesdays off which helped a lot!  Then I decided to get my weekends back, and took Saturdays off as well.   I work 3 days per week (with a couple Saturdays each season).  Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.    This has helped me a lot.  BUT, that doesn't mean that some weeks feel like MORE than only working 3 days....because some weeks still really drag.

Either schedule days off for yourself and see if that helps, or .... take some time off (few weeks or a month) and see how it makes you feel.  

[FranklinT]

16 hours ago, aaluck said:

You are far from alone, Im right there with you.  This year, despite a shortage in my association, I cut back to one day a week--two in an emergency situation.  I'm going to set a mileage block for football as well.

 

My perspective is that there is an officiating shortage for a reason and its gotten this way gradually over a long period of time.  Its not on individual umpires to "strap the cross to their backs" and be taking on too many games, doing solo varsity games, scrambling all over, and compromising their quality of life at home/with their spouse/with their families etc.  This problem has been created by all the players involved (assignors, state associations, leagues, parents, etc.) and its not on us at an individual level to kill ourselves to "help out."  Theres going to be crises every day for a very long time.

Taking a day or two off a week and enjoying the weather and your time with those you care about is the right approach for most of us.

[ArchAngel72]

8th?  year now and well no not yet but I am battling a different thing.  With me my legs are going away bad.  I been predicting for the last 3 years that I will need to end soon. This year maybe my last just based on how my legs are dealing with the few games I have done. That and my right ankle swelling up for no problem that I know of.

Sigh.. so yeah I, after taking off 2 weeks due to ankle concern, am rolling back into it this Saturday with a real feeling this is my last season. 

 

 

[SeeingEyeDog]

56 minutes ago, ArchAngel72 said:

8th?  year now and well no not yet but I am battling a different thing.  With me my legs are going away bad.  I been predicting for the last 3 years that I will need to end soon. This year maybe my last just based on how my legs are dealing with the few games I have done. That and my right ankle swelling up for no problem that I know of.

Sigh.. so yeah I, after taking off 2 weeks due to ankle concern, am rolling back into it this Saturday with a real feeling this is my last season. 

 

 

Ever tried a massage gun? When I have a double, I put it in the car and use it between games. Recommended with BioFreeze or Mineral Ice at the same time.

~Dawg

[Scissors]

2 hours ago, Thunderheads said:

For sure!!  My question to you that looks like it hasn't been posed is .... how many days a week do you work?  I saw this coming for me about 5 years or so ago and I started scheduling 'days off'.  That helped a lot at first, but then, I dropped off more.  My main season is high-school, and I was working every day but Friday.  TOO much.  I spoke to my assignor and took Tuesdays off which helped a lot!  Then I decided to get my weekends back, and took Saturdays off as well.   I work 3 days per week (with a couple Saturdays each season).  Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.    This has helped me a lot.  BUT, that doesn't mean that some weeks feel like MORE than only working 3 days....because some weeks still really drag.

Either schedule days off for yourself and see if that helps, or .... take some time off (few weeks or a month) and see how it makes you feel.  

Kept it to 3 days a week this year, down from 4 or 5 last year. Still just wasn't feeling it. Had my last game a couple of days ago, and it feels like a weight off my shoulders. We'll see how it goes from there, but for now I'm loving the time off.

[wolfe_man]

35 minutes ago, Scissors said:

Kept it to 3 days a week this year, down from 4 or 5 last year. Still just wasn't feeling it. Had my last game a couple of days ago, and it feels like a weight off my shoulders. We'll see how it goes from there, but for now I'm loving the time off.

I've been there a few times and am ready for season to end here too (we're in the last 2 weeks, then playoffs).   I have found taking a few weeks off makes a big difference and then I was ready to come back.   Find what works for you.  Others have made good suggestions and I've tried them all, but have always ended up coming back after a short hiatus due to missing the game. 

[Thunderheads]

2 minutes ago, wolfe_man said:

I've been there a few times and am ready for season to end here too now (we're in last 2 weeks, then playoffs).   I have found taking a few weeks off makes a big difference and then I was ready to come back.   Find what works for you.  Others have made good suggestions and I've tried them all, but have always ended up coming back after a short hiatus.

When I considered that taking a year off would help, and then found myself getting into my plate stance out of nowhere walking around the house after the season ended ....  that's when I knew that maybe I wasn't ready for THAT much time off  

[ousafe]

What keeps me coming back is the camaraderie/brotherhood, the challenge (e.g. learning 3 man now for playoffs), and the game. When the parent/coach BS happens, I have a good network to lean on.  Mental health is a thing.  And I sure as sh*t don't *need* to umpire.

[Richvee]

12 years, and I'm not enjoying my season this year for the first time. It's got nothing to do with burnout. I still love being out there. I've always had "days off" because my job doesn't let me get to more than 4-5 games in a 7 day period. So every day burnout is not a problem 

It's the shortage. It has culminated this year in a plethora of otherwise good varsity baseball games, with partners that don't belong on a Varsity baseball field....I'm not trying to big time anyone, and I'm not talking about newer guys willing to learn. I'm getting straddled with  "I only have navy" - JV lifers, who do not belong anywhere near a high level varsity game. You know the ones......Showing up 10 minutes before a game, Uniform looks like it's been in the trunk of their car for 5 years, no mechanics....Hell, I've been with guys who are lining up in "B" with R1, R2 and arguing with me that's where they're supposed to be, barely giving a safe or out mechanic on bangers when there's continuing action if the runner is safe, or making calls a good two seconds before they even happen,  not a clue about rotations, or fair/foul responsibility..... It's embarrassing. And it's taking the fun out of it. 

Example...today...I've got a game in 2 hours. Text and email yesterday, 2 more today...Still waiting for a reply... I really don't need one, because the reply will say....."I only have navy. Game time is 4PM, I'll be there 3:45. 

May be time to work for another assignor next season if things don't get better. NJ may suck for a lot of reasons, but there's sure more than enough baseball to go around in a relatively small area. 

[ArchAngel72]

2 hours ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

Ever tried a massage gun? When I have a double, I put it in the car and use it between games. Recommended with BioFreeze or Mineral Ice at the same time.

~Dawg

My legs/feet are suffering from an idiot who did not take very good care of himself when he was 1st diagnosed with diabetes in his early 30's.

 

I have neuropathy all the way up to the top of my knees.

I also suffer from chronic dehydration, I do what I can to fix it and some days are much better than others but I see the ability and control of the legs diminishing daily.

I'll be 51 this August and I honestly give myself to 68...  Its a bleak outlook but I am Meh about it. I can only control what I can control. 

So if I buck up and push myself maybe another year or two, but at what cost?

 

[SeeingEyeDog]

I hear you, @ArchAngel72 . We're about the same age and I have had some health issues of my own in the past few years. My doctor told me, "The sins of our 20s and 30s will haunt us forever..." I'd probably add some sins of my 40s in there, too. Be well and keep safe, brother.

~Dawg 

[Thunderheads]

3 minutes ago, ArchAngel72 said:

My legs/feet are suffering from an idiot who did not take very good care of himself when he was 1st diagnosed with diabetes in his early 30's.

 

I have neuropathy all the way up to the top of my knees.

I also suffer from chronic dehydration, I do what I can to fix it and some days are much better than others but I see the ability and control of the legs diminishing daily.

I'll be 51 this August and I honestly give myself to 68...  Its a bleak outlook but I am Meh about it. I can only control what I can control. 

So if I buck up and push myself maybe another year or two, but at what cost?

 

Physical factors also play a roll for sure, especially with medical issues, or, just getting older.  I turned 57 in February and this year I'm feeling it in my joints.  Granted, most of my exercise is from cycling, so that transition from pedaling to being on your feet can be harsh