Rise in New Umpires

[Lou B]

Every year prior to the start of Fall Ball our LL District holds a one day clinic for anyone interested in Umpring.  Normally we get one or two people per league (12-15 total).  This year we had 28!  Hopefully most if not all of them will stick with it.

[lawump]

On 9/22/2023 at 12:22 PM, Lou B said:

Every year prior to the start of Fall Ball our LL District holds a one day clinic for anyone interested in Umpring.  Normally we get one or two people per league (12-15 total).  This year we had 28!  Hopefully most if not all of them will stick with it.

Can you send me some of the stuff you've been adding to your local water system?  I'd like to spread it in our our county water supply so we can get the same result!

Congrats!

[Lou B]

Good thing was we had at least two new guys from every league, three and four from a few.  Normally we get the majority of attendees from the Host league and one or two from the others.  We move the clinic from league to league to give everyone a chance to have it at their park.

[Velho]

2 hours ago, Lou B said:

Good thing was we had at least two new guys from every league, three and four from a few.  Normally we get the majority of attendees from the Host league and one or two from the others.  We move the clinic from league to league to give everyone a chance to have it at their park.

Is there anything specific in your approach or philosophy that helps draw those numbers?

For example, feedback I've gotten (and passed along to my UICs) is not being so picky on the small things*. Simply aim for a level of adequate competence. Once we hook them in we can get into more precise pedantic refinements. Taking that as a base approach into all the training seems to be an easier on-ramp for people.

 

* Example, getting granular on how you point to put the ball in play. Right hand - yes, of course. Precise position of fingers and thumb so index finger points out of the fist and a horizontal movement of the forearm so that you're not "throwing darts" - No. That turned these people off.

[The Man in Blue]

You mean the expectation of “You MUST be PERFECT from day 1 and then get better from there” isn’t a good approach?  😉

[Lou B]

It "Umpiring 101", very basic stuff.   Don't overwhelm them, teach them the basics things that you see/call in 99% of the games.  It's Fall Ball, training and development for managers, coaches, players and umpires.  Mistakes are expected.

10:00 - 3:00, 12:00 - 1:00 lunch provided. Four hours seems to work better than 6 or 8.

In the spring we have "more detailed" one and two day clinics that we hold prior to the start of the Regular Season.

[MadMax]

2 hours ago, Lou B said:

Don't overwhelm them, teach them the basics things that you see/call in 99% of the games.  It's Fall Ball, training and development for managers, coaches, players and umpires.  Mistakes are expected.

Live ball. Live. Ball. None of this sitting in the stands of a field house, or a classroom, flipping through endless PowerPoint slides, reciting what’s on the screen. Sure, you can diagram movements and rotations, and you can demonstrate mechanics, and then do drills, but you must have a practical, real-game environment so as to apply what’s being taught. 

2 hours ago, Velho said:

For example, feedback I've gotten (and passed along to my UICs) is not being so picky on the small things*. Simply aim for a level of adequate competence.

Nitpicking “style” is one of the fastest ways to dishearten and deflate your students / trainees. Especially when you and your “instructors” have varied styles or don’t model the prescribed styles themselves. The “do as I say, not as I do” method. 

And do not get me started on the whole thing with “Timing”.  
 

Also, chasten yourself and your staff on not letting any session descend into “war stories” and dissecting third-world plays, especially purposed situations loaded with “what ifs?”. Absolute waste of (valuable) time, with no effective ROI. 

[Lou B]

"Live Ball"

When we do the field work we do it "live ball", that is we use fielders, batters and runners.

On ball/strikes the batters do not swing. 

On base work we place runners, put a batter in the box and then a coach hits the ball and the batter and runners run.  We work the umpires on basic positioning and rotations and let them make the calls.  Then we critique.

[BigBlue4u]

On 9/22/2023 at 9:22 AM, Lou B said:

Every year prior to the start of Fall Ball our LL District holds a one day clinic for anyone interested in Umpring.  Normally we get one or two people per league (12-15 total).  This year we had 28!  

That's outstanding.  At the first meeting each year, most umpire groups ask the new umpires to stand up.  They get a smattering of applause.  Our association?  Nope.  We ask everyone who is a second or third year umpire to stand up.  Those are the guys who deserve the recognition. 

And they do get an enthusiastic round of applause.

[The Man in Blue]

If you don’t train them the first year, they can’t learn that they can quit.  Am I right?  😉