When you arrive at a game site....
 

I was just wondering, how many of you go the the field in your street clothes to let the Host Manager/Head Coach or AD or TD know you're there and then go get geared up and come back? As a standard practice, I mean. Is it level dependent?

Please comment on your answer if you choose to participate in the poll.

Thanks.

JM

High school and college, always.

Summer ball, it depends. I still voted that it's my standard practice.

Nomally, I will let the home coach know I am on-site. If I'm not really familiar with the team (which is rare), I will wear an association hat, otherwise I wear nothing but street clothes. If I arrive after my partner, I will always ask him if he's made contact with the coach. If not, I do.

Chuck

High school playoffs- yes.

All others - no.

(I can probably say yes to college when I start doing college games this year)

For big games with a crew, yes. For most others, the umpires are on the field ready to go at the proper times. Our policy was to step on the field no later than 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. Here, if you don't show for a game or are late, your butt is in a sling really quick. The HS coaches just assume you are going to be there. I know some coaches that if you came up to the field (usually a long way from the parking lot around here), and told them you were here, they would look at you funny and say, "so, good for you!"

It is expected of us by all three of the associations....
 

I work for and by the coaches. Plus it is good manners. I have called the AD or coach's cell when I got there from parking lot IF the parking lot was far from the game field AND I had worked there before (high school only).

College associations require us to be there one hour before game, dressed to impress (jacket and t-neck or tie and dress pants shoes. No sweats/jeans, ever) from JUCO/NAIA to D-1 and report to head coach/AD/game management personnel that we have arrived.

I usually try to get to the site at least an hour before game time.
I usually know if I am on the dish or bases. So I get dressed then go to the field
and tell the HC that I am here.

Allan

poll....
 

99 times out of 100, I let them know as soon as I arrive, then I go get dressed. However, when I do Little League games, the managers have the decision to make if a field is playable or not (rain) up until we have the plate meeting. Then it's the umpries call. If I know a field will not be playable, and these managers are too scared to make that call, I will mention that if it goes to a plate meeting, that the game will be called on account of playing conditions. Then I don't have to bother getting dressed at all!!

Similar to Allan for the big games and like Steve said most of the time.

First of all, I am conditioned by Southern California navigating to be over an hour early, just because of contingencies. So, I'm never struggling to gear up in a hurry, and I'm never hitting the field later than the 15 minute mark. Now, as far as my partners go ... If I don't see my partner before the half-hour mark, and I even begin to put on a piece of plate gear, then I work the plate.

Yes for all college and all HS playoffs.

Yes for all HS if I get there in time (As CoachJM knows, it's sometimes tough to be "early" for a 4:00 game.)

I foregor this if I'm running "late" and / or the field is far from the parking lot (Lake Park, South Elgin come to mind)

Yes for HS, no for Summer & Fall.

Yes, I always let mgt know I am there, but usually by pulling Tim C's Equipment trailer with a flashing red light on top of it!

HS: Always
College: The attendant who lets us in the locker room alerts the skipper that we've arrived.

if you have a school that lets you change in the locker room...LOL A ot of the schools out here in Missouri and all of the JUCO school i did in Northern Cali did not have a locker room for us... So i did go and tell the coach I was here. Most of the HS games I did not say anything.

At all levels ("youth" ball through Legion), if it's practical, I'll inform the home coach.

I find that it is increasingly not practical at most fields I have been working.