Burning out..........

[baldgriff]

OK here is a question for all of you to mull over. I will use myself as the example since this applies to me currently.

This summer I am working SP games 4 nights a week doing 4 games a night. The season up here in MN started for me back in early May. Over the last 8 weeks I have done 16 regular league games a week. I have also worked 6 tournaments doing about 17 games each weekend. So over the last almost 2 months I have worked over 225 games (all done 1 man).

Anyway, I show up at the field last night and I know I have what should be a good game on my 2nd game of the night, the others were likely to be pretty much all ready determined outcomes based on team talent and what each team has done so far this year. Well the 1st game was a blowout - no surprise. The 2nd game wasnt close either and I was looking forward to that one. By the middle of the 3rd game I could tell I really wasnt into it. I just wanted the night over. Partly because the ball being played was really pretty bad and the other that I just didnt care.

Last night was the first time all season, where I know I didnt do my best. I even told my wife that last night. It bothered me then and is still bothering me today.

How do you all break out of a bit of a funk? I had no energy yesterday and I know if I have that night again tonight I will get eaten up.

Thoughts?

[bkbjones]

Originally Posted by baldgriff

OK here is a question for all of you to mull over. I will use myself as the example since this applies to me currently.

This summer I am working SP games 4 nights a week doing 4 games a night. The season up here in MN started for me back in early May. Over the last 8 weeks I have done 16 regular league games a week. I have also worked 6 tournaments doing about 17 games each weekend. So over the last almost 2 months I have worked over 225 games (all done 1 man).

Anyway, I show up at the field last night and I know I have what should be a good game on my 2nd game of the night, the others were likely to be pretty much all ready determined outcomes based on team talent and what each team has done so far this year. Well the 1st game was a blowout - no surprise. The 2nd game wasnt close either and I was looking forward to that one. By the middle of the 3rd game I could tell I really wasnt into it. I just wanted the night over. Partly because the ball being played was really pretty bad and the other that I just didnt care.

Last night was the first time all season, where I know I didnt do my best. I even told my wife that last night. It bothered me then and is still bothering me today.

How do you all break out of a bit of a funk? I had no energy yesterday and I know if I have that night again tonight I will get eaten up.

Thoughts?

It may not be burnout (though it could be...that is a lot of games) but maybe an indication of a need for a bit of a break.

I found out this year they CAN play softball without me.

We CAN do too many games. And don't forget that umpiring a bazillion games a year has led to more than one failed marriage.

Sometimes a week or weekend away from the ball park can do you - and others - a lot of good.

[baldgriff]

The umpire crew where I worked, finally got them to reschedule games that were scheduled for the 2nd and 3rd of July. I am looking forward to the slow down that happens late July to mid August when "Fall Season" starts.

[Mountaineer]

It sounds to me like it was one night. I think there are times where we don't always have our "A" game. Heck, even people like Michael Jordan have/had off nights! I wouldn't beat myself up over one night. While it's true that you've worked a ton of games in a relatively short time span, it could be that this was your Haley's Comet night - one that comes around every 75 years! If you struggle again tonight you might want to take a night off or even a weekend. I still think you will be fine - just a bad night!

[CecilOne]

That is way too many games. After your vacation, cut your league schedule to half as many nights and do half as many games on weekends. And then have three consecutive days off every third week.

I hope no assigners read this.
Seriously, over work does no one any good in the long run.

[Ran.D]

Nothing seems to go slower than a lopsided slow pitch game. Try calling something different, or using a partner.

I've been also calling fastpitch and high school summer league baseball. Slowpitch becomes a nice change of pace, I can even put up with the grown men whining (most of the time).

[baldgriff]

Originally Posted by Ran.D

Nothing seems to go slower than a lopsided slow pitch game. Try calling something different, or using a partner.

Two man used for a league game or even tournament games is almost unheard of. I get to do 2 man games very infrequently.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by baldgriff

Two man used for a league game or even tournament games is almost unheard of. I get to do 2 man games very infrequently.

Yeah, single man games are far and away the standard here in MN in FP, too. In the regular season of JO FP travel ball, I might get 2 games that are 2 umpire, and these would be weekend tournament championship games. Everything else, including tournament games below the championship game, is one-man.

The softball people here are more concerned about the cost than the quality of the officiating (IMO), plus on those few occasions when they DO see 2 umpires in a game, unless they are getting a couple of high school umps, the crew has so little practice with the mechanics, the BU is frequently out of position, etc., so maybe they are not really aware of the difference it can make.

In travel ball, we just don't do 2 man until the post season.

Contrast that with high school here, which uses 2 man in the regular season, and 3 man in the post season.

[baldgriff]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Yeah, single man games are far and away the standard here in MN in FP, too. In the regular season of JO FP travel ball, I might get 2 games that are 2 umpire, and these would be weekend tournament championship games. Everything else, including tournament games below the championship game, is one-man.

The softball people here are more concerned about the cost than the quality of the officiating (IMO), plus on those few occasions when they DO see 2 umpires in a game, unless they are getting a couple of high school umps, the crew has so little practice with the mechanics, the BU is frequently out of position, etc., so maybe they are not really aware of the difference it can make.

In travel ball, we just don't do 2 man until the post season.

Contrast that with high school here, which uses 2 man in the regular season, and 3 man in the post season.

Boy the statement about cost is right on! I did a National Qualifier a few weeks back and did the Championship 1 man. I got real fortunate in that game as the team that won was up the entire game.

[wadeintothem]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Yeah, single man games are far and away the standard here in MN in FP, too. In the regular season of JO FP travel ball, I might get 2 games that are 2 umpire, and these would be weekend tournament championship games. Everything else, including tournament games below the championship game, is one-man.

The softball people here are more concerned about the cost than the quality of the officiating (IMO), plus on those few occasions when they DO see 2 umpires in a game, unless they are getting a couple of high school umps, the crew has so little practice with the mechanics, the BU is frequently out of position, etc., so maybe they are not really aware of the difference it can make.

In travel ball, we just don't do 2 man until the post season.

Contrast that with high school here, which uses 2 man in the regular season, and 3 man in the post season.

wow that sucks.. here in CA .. the rec league is one man, but all tourneys and h/s are 2 man..

That really hurts the game, especially in travel ball where it counts, to only have one blue.

[AtlUmpSteve]

If it's a manpower issue, then you have to do what you have to do to cover the games. But, where the manpower exists, accepting one man games as the norm (because they want to save money) is just as mercenary on your part, in my opinion.

In our area, nothing in fastpitch above 8U coach pitch has just one umpire; and many leagues have two for that. When a rec program contacts me for umpires (and I handle just one of ten, or so, associations in the area), the option of one umpire in fastpitch isn't even considered. We charge $36 per umpire per game based on minimum two umpires and two games; if we accidently supply only one umpire, the fee is $54 (150% the individual fee). Very few teams/leagues/programs would even think the option of $108 for one umpire in a doubleheader makes sense compared to $144 for two; and we have zero that request that option.

Accepting one umpire games also kills the possibility of quality experience, or mentoring, during the training process. The worst (youngest and rec level) ball wants one umpire; without an experienced umpire to help, how does the inexperienced umpire learn how to handle game situations, who critiques their mechanics, their positioning, their strike zone? And, what experienced umpire wants these low level games? At least, in two man, the experienced umpire accomplishes something beyond accepting a paycheck; he can help train the less experienced umpire.

I hope I never have to deal with the apparent realities you all have; it just isn't accepted or acceptable here.

[Mountaineer]

All of this makes me feel bad for having 3 quality umpires on one field for our Big League (LL) tournament last night. Actually, we don't have a lot of trouble filling our LL tournaments with free umpires that are qualified. Most of the HS and college umpires view it as a way to give back to the game.

[tcblue13]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer

All of this makes me feel bad for having 3 quality umpires on one field for our Big League (LL) tournament last night. Actually, we don't have a lot of trouble filling our LL tournaments with free umpires that are qualified. Most of the HS and college umpires view it as a way to give back to the game.

That is really cool