[Tru_in_Blu]

I'm relatively new to umpiring myself, currently in my 4th year. I've attended clinics, got the ASA DVD on mechanics, and attended a NUS at the beginning of last season. So I've tried to learn and practice the correct mechanics.

This year we took on 3 new umpires. All are middle aged guys who are new to umpiring. A couple have played the game some and one is still playing. The guy that's still playing also pitches in a slow pitch league. I worked a SP DH women's league set with him a couple of weeks ago. He wants to be a sponge and soak up as much knowledge as he can. He's got a lot of bad habits from watching some of our other umps, and maybe from some of the mentoring he's already received. Calling SP strikes is one of the goofier things I do as an umpire. But I had to work with him a lot on his calls, and hand signals. He'd indicate if a ball was outside or inside with a hand wave, that the ball hit the plate with a fist to palm, or that a ballwas "deep" w/ fingertips to shoulders. Occasionally he'd verbalize: "Just a bit outside", or some such. When he called a pitch, he'd rush into it instead of processing the pitch waiting a second, verbalizing and then the hammer for a strike. His calls were everything all at once. So I tried slowing him down there.

I also needed to explain working the slot to him. He'd actually work a "reverse slot" if you know what I mean. That's a situation where he's more likely to take a foul in the kisser.

We spoke a lot between innings, a bit in between games, a more after the games were finished. I think he'll eventually be a great umpire, but like a lot of folks needs to learn where he's supposed to be, how to get the position for a call, a slow down a bit.

One thing that helped me slow down is I call a lot of 12-14 yo JO games, and some men's rec SP, and I've convinced myself that on a force play, the player receiving the ball will always drop it. When they don't, it's like a surprise, and then I can call the out.

I agree that it's difficult to have teens working games at their own age group or even adult ball. Unless someone is a prodigy and umpire savant, it probably isn't going to work out well.