Good comments and suggestions. I really like BuggBob's "Three P's". I will mark up my lineup card holder with those initials, so I am always reminded of our standard of professionalism. I like IRISH's comments about responsibilities too. This site always helps me with my professionalism!

As a side note:

Situation 1. PU and I went to talk to the HC after the game (PU had other issues; I had an issue with this situation). HC told me that he would sit her down and go over Character Counts/Pursuing Victory with Honor with her. I do agree with most posters; I may have prolonged the conversation with the player by arguing with her (hindsight). Best to just explain the call and walk away.

Situation 2. As for the tone and body language of the "Learn the rules, blue!" comment, HC was in the dugout when he said it and I didn't see him say it, I just heard him say it.

Thanks again for the feedback.

We've told our umpires in Pensacola that the paperwork should not factor into their decisions on the field. Heck, FHSAA even made the report a fillable pdf on their website. Now if we can talk them into digital signatures, we won't even have to print and sign the form -- we'll just hit submit.

AS others here have posted in sit #1 dealing with a teenager can be difficult :o at times. She did not ultimately however challenge you or your integrity. As for sit #2 if he did not whisper "learn the rules blue" he's gone. As a fellow umpire he should know NEVER question a umpires understanding of a rule publicly. I would think better of him if he asked you (quietly if you were sure of your interptatation of the rule. Calling you out publicly especially over something as trivial as this tells me he's wound a little tighter then most of us.

Steve:

What is wrong with addressing the player as such in the OP. It was a girls' game. When I am officiating or umpiring a female game, I expect them to conduct themselves as ladies and if it is a male game I expect them to conduct themselves as gentlemen. There was nothing wrong with his response. It should respect and civility that is, sadly, disappearing from our society.

MTD, Sr.

While I do use the terms "ma'am" and "sir" if I feel it appropriate, I can understand what Steve is saying. As you note, there are quite a few things disappearing from our world. Unfortunately, common sense is one of them. However, there seems to be a need to blame someone for anything that happens to anyone, including finding an excuse to be "offended". "Ma'am? Don't you dare call me ma'am. I'm not some nice old lady here to offer some cookies and milk!" Stupid? Yes, but some idiots...er, coaches only need a word they can hang their hat upon to give them cause to do what they can to make you, the umpire, look like an idiot even though you were acting the proper gentlemen.

There are quite a few headstrong coaches nowadays that will get ticked off and tell the umpires to NOT talk to there players for any reason. Forget the fact that whatever was said had the intent of preventive umpiring trying to keep a player or her teammate out of trouble.

Steve has a point that if you keep everything generic (number 9, catch, coach, etc.), there is little chance of giving anyone ammunition to pounce. Same as them saying, "ump", "blue", "Mr/Ms Umpire" is much better than "hey, Mark" or "Mr. DeNucci". That would infer familiarity and provide that coach's opponent ammunition to accuse you of being a "homer" and costing their team a game with all your biased calls.

As you can see simply by scanning any news page, whether on the computer or paper, something doesn't necessarily need to be true to be perceived as such.

you should give the oppertunity for the coach to attend to the player... if that means you give the coach sufficient time to come and tend to the player or if that means you verbally ask the coach to tend to the player. Personally I would have sold whatever I had then moved away from that posistion to my next posistion. Usually when a coach sees that player so upset the coach will come out and question which lets the player relax. The pause and then moving away from the play creates a sense that you knew you had the call. The response to the player should have not been made. However If she wants to create dismay and continue on with it I would ask the coach to handle it ... after that dump her. But in all actuality I think that by selling then pausing then moving to your next area you make the players screams look more on her rather than you.