Wed Nov 16, 2005, 02:14am
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Lakeside, California
Posts: 6,724
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Quote:
Originally posted by PWL
Quote:
Originally posted by SanDiegoSteve
Quote:
Originally posted by PWL
Before the season starts, I go out to the local high school, and work a little intra-squad scrimmage action. I also take the time to go over with all the teams what they need to do in situations like this. I tell them to always verbalize what they are appealling, no matter what, so the umpire will always know what is going on.
I also go around and explain obstruction and contact rules to them. Fake tags and sliding rules, stuff like that. Most are already familiar with them, some are not. Anyway, a little refresher course goes a long way not only for the players, but for me as well. It also helps the newer coaches understand a little better also.
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PWL, you say you go the the local high school? Is it the only one? How many high schools are there where you live? Your rules seminar may work in a small town, but not in a large metro area.
Here in S.D., our association supplies umpires to 81 high schools county wide. It would be impractical to go around giving a clinic on how to play baseball. By the time the kids around here get to the JV level, they are expected to already know how to play. It is the responsibility of the coaches, not the officials, to educate the players. The coaches here are experienced, not new to the job. We as umpires are supposed to hit the ground running from day 1. The coaches here treat even scrimmage games like the playoffs. They certainly would not even listen to any kind of instruction from the umpires. Now, if I'm working Pinto League, on the other hand, sure, I'll explain obstruction and interference, and other things in an instructional manner. Any level above that, however, and we leave it to the coaches.
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We have several schools in our area. I go to this school because it is just down the road. I have been associated with the program for several years. This is just intra-squad scrimmaging. I'll go and call the plate on my own free time. Usually, I'll just have a group of freshmen and sophomores. Sometimes you will get coaches that are football coaches helping out for the extra money and want to learn if they are just starting out. We have pre-season scrimmages against other teams in different formats. It depends on how the teams want to work them. I just do it as a way to get ready for the season and a refresher course. It's no big deal really. Just getting some exercise, and explaining a few things to the kids. I like being on a ballfield after a long winter. What else can I say?
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Okay, cool. We only work assigned scrimmages here, and we don't get paid for them, either. It's our "way of giving back", as we are told. Everybody gets 2 or 3 each before the pre-season tournaments begin. It sounds like the atmosphere where you work is less intense than here, where the coaches act like it's life or death. I envy you in that regard. In So Cal, every player thinks he's the next great superstar, and often, he is.
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Matthew 15:14, 1 Corinthians 1:23-25
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