Arrogance and Being "Bigger than the Game"

[Adam]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

Please bear with me on this point- many posters on here say people see Tuss as arrogant because he is young. To me this is age discrimination.

Nope, it's a perception issue that can be addressed. Addressing it can help you, as the perception likely exposes behavior, posture, or tone that can hinder a career for a long time. Just because the effects are magnified with the young doesn't mean they don't hurt the less-young.

[Dave Reed]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

I've heard ..... that I put off an image that I think everyone is there to see me officiate.

Most people here have focussed on a possible perception of arrogance, but even non-arrogant and quite competent umpires can appear to desire attention. Unnecessarily interrupting the flow of the game can lead to such an image.
For example,

1. After the batter and pitcher are nearly set, calling time to set right an open gate, or ask a bucket-sitting coach to stay in the dugout.
2. Bob Jenkins has already mentioned OOO activities, and interrupting the game to perform them (as opposed to between innings) makes it worse.
3. In the middle of an inning, calling a coach or your partner over to confer for no apparent reason.
4. An umpire who doesn't verbalize ball calls, and who also slows down the timing of his strike call when there is a potential ball 4.

Apparent youth may play a part in perceived arrogance (although I think competence trumps youth every time), but I doubt that youthfulness would foster the impression that an umpire desires to be a major attraction.

[socalblue1]

Dave has good points. I would add that in a young umpire some may perceive self-confidence as arrogance.

[ozzy6900]

Well, here we go..... the old fart is going to give his opinion to all this!

First of all, Tuss is in a neighboring HS board to mine. His HS board is as large as mine and has about as many old timers as mine does. Add to the fact that the HS board that Tuss belongs to deals with the more "affluent" areas of CT and the "customers" in this area are royal pains. I also know several of the members of Tuss' HS board and they are not the easiest to get along with.

That said, one of the hardest things that we have to deal with up here is exactly what Canada is complaining about. My board has aquired a large number of college age umpires over the last few years. They are all hard workers (both on and off the field), some are still in school and all have attended our clinics.

Their biggest complaints are that they are not taken seriously on the field. I have seen this first hand as I am either assigned with them or are out evaluating them to move up to Varsity level and beyond. I have had many coaches approach me during a game wanting me to either talk to my partner or correct his "attitude". To these requests, I have to remind the coaches that my partner is an official of equal rank and capability as myself. I remind them that the youth of my partner has no bearing on the fact that he is my equal and I stand by him and his decisions just as well as I would someone my own age. Finally I firmly request that they treat my partner with the same respect as they would myself or get the hell off the field! That usually gets the point across!

Yes, age is a very big factor in my part of the country and everyone is judged by it. It is something that we teach the "youngsters" they have to work hard at getting around this. Whining about it will not change a thing here in New England. These old "Yankees" have been looking at age for decades - hell, I do it myself sometimes!

Tuss will be fine, he has a lot of good people on his HS board and Tuss has a good head on his shoulders. He will get around the "age barrier" of New England in no time.

Tim C., you are absolutely correct in your assumption that he would be an asset to your board. We too would welcome him if decided to umpire in our region.

[David B]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

Well, here we go..... the old fart is going to give his opinion to all this!



Tim C., you are absolutely correct in your assumption that he would be an asset to your board. We too would welcome him if decided to umpire in our region.

I agree totally. We would welcome a young official who takes it seriously, wants to improve and move up the ladder.

The key is putting the "young" officials with veterans who have the ability to teach them the little things like dealing with coaches, handling problems etc.,

Too many times we put the younger officials with "veteran" officials who are on the last leg of their journey and the young official is not able to learn or glean anything from the experience.

Being young is not all bad, I was able to move up the ladder very quickly as a young college student while in TX, but it was because I had great teachers, and I was able to learn from my mistakes.

The biggest hindrance I see from young officials is the inability to manage the game "on the fly". IOW, what do you do when something unusual happens.

And finally, when you make a mistake, learn from it, study it, and don't ever make the same mistake again.

Good luck and keep working

thanks
David

[PeteBooth]

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

Well, here we go..... the old fart is going to give his opinion to all this!


Their biggest complaints are that they are not taken seriously on the field. I have seen this first hand as I am either assigned with them or are out evaluating them to move up to Varsity level and beyond. I have had many coaches approach me during a game wanting me to either talk to my partner or correct his "attitude". To these requests, I have to remind the coaches that my partner is an official of equal rank and capability as myself. I remind them that the youth of my partner has no bearing on the fact that he is my equal and I stand by him and his decisions just as well as I would someone my own age. Finally I firmly request that they treat my partner with the same respect as they would myself or get the hell off the field! That usually gets the point across!

Ozzy you hit the "nail on the head". Until the "old guard" fianlly calls it quits and the new corps of young umpires takes over this will be the perception.

I believe this type of scenario happened when we were young also. It takes time.

For the most part IMO the coaches have been "spoon fed" by the old vets

It starts right away during the equipment check. Many of the old vets do not even bother checking the equipment in the first place and then when a young rookie starts checking equipment and tossing out a few "bats and hats" "right away' the coach thinks that he is arrogant and he is simply doing his job.

Then there is this "bucket business" Many of the old vets (to appease the coaches and get good ratings in other words kiss their yoo know what) turned a blind eye and when a young umpire trys to tell a coach that he can sit on the bucket as long as he is DBT, again the coaches say that this umpire is arrogant.

In Summary: IMO, it's the "old guard" that caused this type of descrimination in the first place because they became complacent and did not want to upset "the apple cart" and when a new young umpire is simply doing their job they appear arrogant.

Pete Booth

[Rich]

[QUOTE=PeteBooth;539214]

Ozzy you hit the "nail on the head". Until the "old guard" fianlly calls it quits and the new corps of young umpires takes over this will be the perception.

I believe this type of scenario happened when we were young also. It takes time.

For the most part IMO the coaches have been "spoon fed" by the old vets

It starts right away during the equipment check. Many of the old vets do not even bother checking the equipment in the first place and then when a young rookie starts checking equipment and tossing out a few "bats and hats" "right away' the coach thinks that he is arrogant and he is simply doing his job.

Then there is this "bucket business" Many of the old vets (to appease the coaches and get good ratings in other words kiss their yoo know what) turned a blind eye and when a young umpire trys to tell a coach that he can sit on the bucket as long as he is DBT, again the coaches say that this umpire is arrogant.

In Summary: IMO, it's the "old guard" that caused this type of descrimination in the first place because they became complacent and did not want to upset "the apple cart" and when a new young umpire is simply doing their job they appear arrogant.

Pete Booth

The young guys become the old guard. I was once a young guy. I'm not anymore. The old guys still think I'm young and the new guys look like teenagers. (I look young for my age, but I'm in my 22nd school year of working high school sports.)

TCB and doing the right things has nothing to do with age. It has to do with your philosophy and with what's important to you as an umpire or as an association.

[aceholleran]

I'm pretty sure that I am the only poster here who has worked with Tuss, and I have read this thread with interest.

I don't have time to address specific pernts with all the respondents, but I will tell you this: If I were the Big Cheese, I would have no trouble with assinging--and would promote--this arbiter to HS varsity immediately... and eventually above. Hustle, a calm demeanor and commitment are top-notch, for starters. Tell me how many of these qualities you wouldn't love to drive into the crania of some of the folks with whom you work.

I'm asking this august body to trust me and take my 31 years of work into account. This ain't about me. Tuss "has it," and the years will prove this out, if he chooses to stay on.

The only caveat: He's intelligent. As one MLB umpire told me, "They don't want you to be too smart."

Ace

[TussAgee11]

Originally Posted by aceholleran

The only caveat: He's intelligent.

Ace

Care to call up my history professor and tell him that And as always Ace, wonderful verbiage.

On a serious note, thanks to all responders: I will do some self reflection this fall and see if any of this other stuff may be true about my game. Maybe I'll even find somebody to tape me work.

Back to the books on this rainy day...

[Nigel Tufnel]

A couple things to remember.
Anything like Varsity HS or Connie Mack/Legion ball, these guys will test your patience.
Anything below, coaches usually are not paid to manage and their lack of rules and knowledge of the game will surface...shrug those things off and go enjoy a cold one...

No one said that this was going to be easy...keep working hard on the diamond and get that degree for backup...

[tcarilli]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

...I will do some self reflection this fall and see if any of this other stuff may be true about my game...

Better words could not have been written for all of us. All criticisms should be, at least initially, treated as having some truth value. If after reflection (the amount of which has a great deal of variation) one decides that the criticism is not valid, then dismiss it. Umpires (in fact anyone) do themselves great harm by immediately dismissing criticism out of hand. And even worse by starting a response with "yeah, but..." Yeah butters rarely advance very rapidly or very far.

[Rita C]

Tell them you need specifics. Quite honestly, without specifics it means nothing.

Ask THEM to give you a postgame evaluation and point out what they think you are doing wrong.

I had someone tell me this year that I have a reputation for being hard on coaches and the kids, and having a quick trigger. Of course he got that idea from the one coach I ejected in the last two years, one it took five innings to get me to the point I had had enough.

Rita

[Arnold A.]

Originally Posted by Rita C

Tell them you need specifics. Quite honestly, without specifics it means nothing.

Ask THEM to give you a postgame evaluation and point out what they think you are doing wrong.

I had someone tell me this year that I have a reputation for being hard on coaches and the kids, and having a quick trigger. Of course he got that idea from the one coach I ejected in the last two years, one it took five innings to get me to the point I had had enough.

Rita

Tuss,

As Rita has said, just consider the source(s).

And, be brutally honest with yourself when you evaluate your performance. You can't really fool yourself.