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Two great bits of advice for ANYONE starting out (I was 31 when I started, too, and I've progressed to a D2 College World Series and a full time D1 conference schedule) -
1. Go to a camp or clinic and pay attention, then follow that with a review in a mechanics book. The stuff in the book will make a lot more sense when you've worked on it in a clinic.
2. Find an umpire that is good and follow him to a few games - TO WATCH. Watch where he goes when the ball is hit, watch where he is when there are runners on, watch where he is when there are NO runners on, watch how he deals with coaches and players, watch his signals, watch how he communicates with his partner, watch his timing, watch what he does when the ball is hit on the ground, watch what he does when it's hit in the air, watch how he handles checkswings, watch him watching base tagups and touches, watch where he watches them from, watch where he goes between innings, watch how he inspects equipment during the pregame. TAKE NOTES! Then after the game ask him why he did the things he did that you didn't understand. Then go to another clinic and you'll be astounded how it falls into place.
From there it's "get out there" time - and ask your partner to watch you! Then ask him for a critique. Then see #1 above.
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