Woefully Neglected Training Areas

[Jim Porter]

I was discussing training methods with a younger umpire in my association the other night. He asked me, "What do you think is the most neglected area of training? What do most umpires fail to work on, but they sorely need to work on?"

I thought about it for a moment. I thought about the various camps and clinics I've attended through the years. I thought about all the drilling, and the mechanics, and the rules sessions, and the cage work, and the video instruction, and the evaluations - - all the aspects of today's modern umpire training.

Then it hit me like the vinyl siding of a mobile home in Homestead, Florida during Hurricane Andrew - - umpires need to work harder on being a good human being.

They need to work on their honesty and integrity. They need to exercise their humility. They need to develop their communication skills. They need to learn to be more patient. They need to develop their diplomacy and tact. They need to work on handling pressure situations with calmness and control. They need to work on their common sense and sense of fairness. Umpires should spend more time becoming model human beings. This, above all else, will either make them or break them as officials.

Get out and volunteer at a homeless shelter, work with the aged, cancer patients, aids patients, work with abused or neglected children, work with underprivileged children, become a foster parent, or a big brother - whatever you can do, do it. You will develop human skills that can only enhance your character, and this will be quite evident in your work on the diamond.

If there's one added thing that you can do for your officiating this year, and yourself, do this. You won't be sorry in the least - - I promise.

[Rich Ives]

Jim P writes (in part) "work with neglected children, work with underprivileged children, become a foster parent, or a big brother"

AND, one can basically do all of these at the same time by being a youth sports coach.

[edhern]

I guess I must be a perfect human being. I run a Challenger baseball program for adults and kids with disabilities, oversee emergency shelter and affordable housing programs and will be Chairman of the Board of the Nassau Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless. Wish I could be as good of an umpire, but I working on it.

http://communities.msn.com/ChallengerBaseball