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I'm a coach who would rather ump. Life's circumstances have just ended up that way.
But as a coach, I can say that the thing I appreciate the most is a good umpire, so that I can concentrate on other things. Here in Germany, not the softball capital of the world, things aren't so great. I have never, NEVER, seen an OBS call. I have asked for it and got it, but the umpires do not look for it and never call it.
The point is, we NEED dedicated umpires who know the rules and call them. If you give up, you are letting everything just go to waste. Maintaining high standards means being frustrated; quitting means letting us down. There are some coaches out there who just want the game to be played right and fair. We are not looking to trick anybody or seeking an extra advantage. We read the message boards not to come up with tricks but to learn the rules as best we can. We want good umpires. We complain about umpires who are idiots (and I've seen a few) but we don't complain about the occasional blown call, because we make mistakes ourselves. (I've umpired several times, and I know how hard it is. And I have experienced the occasion when I say "strike" and afterwards think that the ball was just above the shoulders. I blew it. But hell, it's just one strike, and that's not deciding the game. As a coach, when I'm standing on third and send a girl in to home and she's tagged a yard before the plate, I don't blame the umpire, I blame myself. Performance is not about mistakes, but consistency.)
Anyway, don't give up because those around you are incompetent. Do your best, because you are appreciated by those who love and know the game. Oh sure, I might come to you between innings and say something like, "Could you give the count verbally a bit more often?" And on a banger I might shake my head. But the truth is that I love you if you're good. And I don't appreciate the idiots.
I know this doesn't mean much, coming from a coach. But one should NEVER give up because one thinks "everyone else is incompetent." One should push for more competency.
jeffstone
goettingen
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