Officials - BURNOUT

[PeteBooth]

My Company I work for has recently Merged with another Company. Presently, waiting for FTC / Board Approval which for all practical purposes is a Formality.

This thread is not about being sorry for myself as I will receive a decent Severance Package. I am only 44 so I will still have to work so I have been contemplating a few things lately. One of those things concerns Full Time Officiating.

Presently, I only Umpire Baseball. I am thinking about Football / Basketball and yes maybe even S****r.

The point of this thread is: Presently, I umpire between 70 - 90 games a year (includes LL games). Some of you probably umpire 100 -200 depending upon where one lives. Those of you who post regularly, know I'm from the East - so the weather comes into play.

I do not know about you but at the end of the season (Spring through Fall), I am happy for the break. I enjoy umpiring (otherwise I wouldn't do it), but at the end of a long season, I enjoy the time off.

My question for those individuals who umpire many games and for those umpires who also officiate other sports is: What do you do to avoid BURNOUT ?

To me the burnout isn't so much the officiating part, but the constant dealing with coaches / players, keeping one's cool in a "sticky" situation and also dealing with one's own association.

After a while, at least for me it's nice to just Get Away from it All .

So while I ponder what "I want to be when I grow up", what advice can you give to avoid Burnout. Thanks

[Rich]

...I wrote an article on the subject two years ago.

Look here:

http://www.umpire.org/writers/twoworlds.html

Rich

[PeteBooth]

Rich thanks, but if I may I would like to comment on the following passage from your article.


One group of people would just show up at the game, work the game, make the money, and go home. Unfortunately, these are the same umpires that think the hands are part of the bat and that the batter-runner has to turn right when overrunning first base. These are also the same umpires that never shine their shoes, never have clean uniforms, and never do much of anything that doesn’t embarrass the association.

Rich I know what you are saying, but aren't these umpires really the happiest? Meaning nothing bothers this group. I know umpires and other officials who fall into this category and they seem to be very happy. After all how many GOOD GAMES are there? For all the so called GOOD GAMES one gets there are plenty of the "Other Kind"

This group doesn't care about moving up. As you mentioned, they want the money and because of the lack of officials to begin with, there is plenty of work even for this group.

Perhaps from a mental standpoint, they have the best outlook. Sometimes (I know I shouldn't bring work home with me), I get upset at myself for missing a call and in a way it effects me for the rest of the day.

Rich Thanks for the article and I will take into account when pondering my future.

Pete Booth

[Jordan McDowell]

To avoid burn-out (avg 145-155 games/year) I work different levels of ball.

If I schedule a bunch of juco games (my highest level right now), or 10 or 15 FED varsity games in a row, then I make sure my next game or two is at the rec park or a ninth grade game, and that I have fun during the games. Meaning I don't carry an attitude with me at the youth league, and I don't go to pop off to coaches because I know I can get away with more there. I go with a big smile, stay relaxed, turn in my best game, and enjoy myself and the no-pressure situation..

Of course, the reverse is also true. Too many lower level games can get me too relaxed and ruin my zone. So I schedule a couple of plates at tough games and really dig in the next game or two.

One peice of advice, Pete. When you're on the field, forget your internet persona. No introspection, no self doubt, no philosophical questions. Just make the calls and enjoy the moment.

Best of luck to you.

Jordan

[dani]

I worked about year straight to save up some $$$ prior to getting married a few years ago. In addition to a few extra bucks I ended up with sore feet, sore legs and a bitter attitude. The biggest downfall is dealing with the many players and coaches attitudes. Never again!!

[Steve M]

I'll agree with a lot of what's already been said. About 90% of my games are softball, but that's not really an issue - burnout is burnout. I'll do 270-300 games each year from March into November and the levels vary from LL baseball through high school softball, Legion baseball, college and adult softball. The weather changes from needing gloves and every other piece of cold-weather gear to hot enough that I'll sweat off more than 30 lbs in a weekend. I assign, evaluate, and train. When I take a vacation, I leave the area and have nothing to do with umpires or umpiring. It is a strenuous "road" you're looking at going down.

[Ump20]

In 1993 I was displaced from my career in commercial banking. I eventually made a transition to the nonprofit world but did spend the better part of two summers doing as much ball as possible. In my nine years of umpiring I did meet one "full-time official" who did four sports. He was a retired police officer so he did collect a pension in addition to his officiating pay.

I think that when you make an avocation a profession you have crossed a significant line. A lot depends upon the fee schedule in your area, your personal finances, and how you live your everyday life. 70-80 games is a lot less than the 120+ you would be working as a full-time guy. It sounds as if you have the right attitude when it comes to baseball but have some reservations about other sports such as Soccer. Sounds as if that may really be "work" for you.

The issue is not so much about "burnout" but how you perceive this new-found situation. If you see it as a real opportunity than crunch the numbers and go for it. If on the other hand you see yourself as somewhat of a victim pushed in this direction, approach with caution and seek others advice. Jim/NY