ASA National Umpire School

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by WestMichBlue


My experience did not match Bigdawgs. I attended the NUS held in South Bend IN this weekend. Maybe my expectations were too high; I assumed that because this was a "National" school, with "National" staff that it was going to be cutting edge; high level. In fact, it was closer to a Rookies Camp. I was bored and frustrated with the level of training and I left at the end of day one. A waste of my time, not to mention three hundred bucks for school and travel expenses.

Obviously my experience does not speak to everyone that should attend a NUS; in the same way that Bigdawg's experience should not speak to everyone that may not gain much from the camp.

WMB

The Rookies Camp comment is true. I had a 2nd year umpire attend a National School at another location and he felt the same way. However, but that is not the staff's fault.

They have to deal with whoever shows up. There are many areas which push new or needing umpires toward a national school in lieu of a local one. Too many umpires never get any training outside of where they work, so they believe what they do is correct. I've seen or heard of umpires at a national school call "no pitch" when they were blocked out of a ball down the line, umpires that called a strike for each SP ball that hit the plate, call a runner safe at the place because the catcher didn't clear a bat from the plate area. All they did was execute in the same manner they do at home. It isn't totally their fault. Maybe the local UICs should be required to endorse an umpire's application for a national school.

I have found that one gets out of a school what they chose. You should have stayed for the second day, I'm sure it would have been interesting with Bernie especially if you like overhand outs.