Did I say enemy? hehe.

I mean the players/coaches.

Last night I worked with a very seasoned vet in a low div Co-Ed game (he does that to help us rooks, he belongs in way higher divs).

Funny thing though. After one of our games, a player ran by and said, "Good Game Blue"...you know the typical polite thing for players to say, I guess. :/

My parter returned with, "Ok Guys". I thought this was pretty professional on his part. Very impartial.

So I asked him, "That reminds me, how much socializing is allowed/do you do with the players/coaches". He said "None".

Just thought it was funny he said that right after he replied to a player.

Thoughts?

He replied to a player. I don't see that as "socializing," any more that I would see a coach coming out and asking me a question on a ruling, and me replying to his question as "socializing."

I agree that to maintain the image of impartiality and professionalism, we should refrain from any open socializing with players/coaches.

Alameda,
...Agreeing with Skahtboi here.
Being polite and being brief is encouraged in every sport I work. <small>(...Also, in most of my forum replies.)</small>
mick

Socializing with the players & coaches? No way to avoid it in my area. We all travel in the same circles. Most of the umpires in Delaware have played with many of the players on the field at one time or another and some still do play.

Delaware is small and if you didn't umpire games where you knew, socialized or were related to someone, they would never have an umpire on the field.

Just the way it is.

Umpiring in a small town can have its drawbacks.
I always hated when I'd get asked by a friend about
a call he had in a game with another umpire. I'd
try to give an answer in a diplomatic way.
Socializing may be unavoiable in a small community--
but "schmoozing" should always be avoided.
It would slay me to see anpther umpire sitting
on the bench of a team whose game I was calling.
It should be a huge NO-NO !!!

Nothing wrong with being honest either.

Alameda,

Nothing wrong in what your partner did. Not like he was hanging
on the fence having inbetween inning conversations with people.
Just a friendly reply to a remark, one we rarely hear anyway.

Be polite and dont take either compliments or critism to heart... both mean little to nothing.

Sometimes I know the coaches fairly well.. I dont socialize when working as an ump.

*Note

I was exhausted when I posted that, but I never meant for it to sound like I thought there was anything wrong with his actions. It was a pleasure working with him and I learned a great deal.

I was just curious of getting a wider opinion on the subject from you all.

=)

[Edited by Alameda on Apr 14th, 2005 at 01:11 AM]

IMHO...

As a general rule, you don't want to socialize with players and coaches during a game or immedatly before or after a game. You run the risk of appearing to favor one side or another.

Having said that, if a player or coach speaks to me I am not going to ignore him/her.

If you know a player or coach outside softball.. the feild is not a great place to catch up on old times. If they say "Hello" say "Hello" back and leave it at that.

Finally.. while it's a general rule, there is a different feeling at a High School Varsity game then there is at a Coed Class "Q" Slowpitch game. I have had a lot of fun working one-man at low level coed slowpitch games where the teams are glad to have me, glad to have a game to play, and not too worried about winning or losing. They just want to play and have fun. I'll be more talkative in such an setting, and I don't see any problem with it. I am not favoring anyone, just enjoying the game as much as the players are.

Nine more days to softball in Alaska!! Yea!!

I work in a lot of different leagues and one of them is filled with good friends (the parents of kids that are the same age as my daughter and son). When I walk on the field I have to purposely keep to myself so as not to let an opposing team think I'm in kahoots with the other guys. People used to think I was a bit stand offish till they realized I was just going for impartiality.

A smile, a couple of words and I try to get to down to buisness.

I'm not saying to make friends or anything but sometimes it can help to have an ally on the team so if a player is getting out of line, you can look to your ally to strighten them out. Your ally is someone(s) whom you've been friendly with and possibly discussed a play or 2 with, though I'm certainly in agreement with showing caution not to appear friendlier with one team or the other so as to not appear to show favoritism. Hey, it's good to have allies on each team.

I'm discussing Adult SP here as a HS ballgame already has predetermined protocall.

Here in Germany, if I see the umpires have not left the field or the area after 10 minutes or so after the game, I always make it a point to shake their hands. I don't usually make a comment, but if I do it's just a "Dankeschoen."

I do this whether we win or lose or whether I thought the umpires made good or bad calls. I'm grateful to have them there. (We have a hard time getting umpires here: it's one thing for people to get involved in a "foreign" sport, much less for them to take up officiating.) They ain't getting big money, and they ain't getting recognition or fame, either.

So a simple exchange of thanks between the coach and the umpires I don't think should be misconstrued as "socializing" or failing to maintain impartiality. It's just polite and decent.

jeffstone
goettingen

I agree. As a player or an umpire a simple, 'thank you'; 'Good game'; etc. and/or a handshake wouldn't be construed as socializing. A couple of times as a player I even went to an umpire and said that I was sorry for getting out of line and have had players apologize to me as an umpire. Who knows I might have that guy as an ump or partner in another game. I never saw this as socializing either, just common courtesy. Some may disagree. I have often umpired games in which I knew most of the players on both teams. In those situations I don't think it out of line to at least acknowledge the player that says hello to you. If the player wants to get into a conversation with you, a simple 'I'm sorry I can't talk right now' or 'In order to maintain impartiality, I am not permitted to converse with players.'

I work high school, NSA, PONY, and college, and I have a simple rule. Be courteous not friendly, and professionalin appearance, skill, and attitude.