There were excellent umpires long before the internet
Those umpires who truly want to excel and move up always have found a way, and always will.
Before the internet we didn't just sit around hoping to get better. We went to camps, clinics, schools, and seminars. We read books, magazine articles and school work books.
It didn't take the internet for umpires to become excellent at their craft. We had some pretty good ones in the 30's and 40's.
The internet is just another tool that is used by those who wish to improve and get it right. If they didn't have the internet, they'd find another way.
Travel around the various internet sites, boards and pages. You will find the same names over and over again. Sometimes we get so involved we forget how few there are of us on the internet.
Don't get fooled into thinking that we are in the majority of umpires. We are not. Just like those before us who worked even harder to understand the game, we are a minority. Less than 1% of active umpires spend time researching their craft on the internet.
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