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Bfair had a good point about game management. I use my summer ball to work on those skills as much (if not more) as my mechanical skills (balls & strikes, safes & outs). My summer ball for the past 8 years has consisted of collegiate wood bat and Independant minor league ball - so the player skill level is pretty good, and so is the ability levels of my partners. This is the highest level of ball around here in the summer, so my goals are playoff oriented every year. These players are more self oriented than the Spring teams (shooting for conference or league championships), so they are more apt to vent themselves than have a coach do it for them. How I handle them is great experience toward handling coaches in the Spring - and it really is true: There is no substitute for years of experience. When we got out of umpire school, Harry Wendlestedt said, "You can all go out and work games, but you won't be "umpires" for quite awhile. In ten years you'll know what I mean." Amen.
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