Doing some market reserch

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by shipwreck

I really don't see the big problem with rare times to change at home. I live less than 1 mile from where or HS team and local association teams play. I have dressed at home and drove the 2 minute drive to the field. Between games I change at my car. For those of you who say this is a no-no, would it be ok to drive home the same distance without changing, after you are done for the day? I am sure I will get hammered on this board for acting such. Dave

For me, even though I live less than a mile from one of the sites where I call a DIII college, one HS, and some rec league stuff, it is just a matter of professionalism. (On longer drives, of course, it also has to do with showing up without a wrinkled uniform.) I believe in making initial contacts with coaches and site administrators in decent looking (usually dockers and a polo) street clothes. This way, you don't draw any attention to yourself in doing so, and also avoid conversations and questions from fans and parents that have already arrived. I also think that is just makes for a better appearance. (my opinion). The DII coordinator for this area insists that we show up for games in this fashion, though that was no transition for me as I was already doing this long before I got into any level of college ball. I guess in my case it was more personal preference than anything.

Also, no matter how close or far away I am from home after a game, I change back to street clothes at the game site. Again, a matter of personal preference and habit. Besides, that changing time allows for a good post game with your partner, not to mention a time to listen to Miles Davis or John Coltrane as you wind down!

[cgaumpire]

In order, but not by choice:
(B) because most places do not have adequate facilities (mainly high schools)
(A)at most ASA tourneys and colleges
(D) I guess that that would include restrooms, field maintenance bldgs. etc.
never C
Unfortunately the car is my primary dressing place and not by choice.
I will never leave the facility in uniform.
It is not professional to wear the uniform to eat before or afterwards (I have seen this), at least change the shirt and lose the hat.

[shipwreck]

Well changing into your uniform when you get on site may be professional but where I routinely work they have the umpires park close to the main gate and concession stand. Since I live so close I prefer to change at home. To me changing out in the open with your pants down doesn't seem THAT professional either. The restrooms are also super busy so that isn't a real option either. Maybe I need to invest in an old school bus and convert it to a mobile changing station. Dave

[BlitzkriegBob]

I guess I'll chime in with my opinion. Most of the places I call games have not just the high school but also the middle school and/or elementary school on the same campus. While I don't mind changing at the back of my SUV from base pants to plate pants for the second game of a DH on a Saturday, I do have a problem dropping trou at 4:15 on a Wednesday afternoon with elementary kids swinging on the playground 75 feet away. Obviously if I can park somewhere secluded and change in as much privacy as the outdoors allows, I will do that. Otherwise I put on my pants at the office before I go to the game, along with a t-shirt, and finish dressing at the site.

Now I know some may think that is unprofessional, but I look at it like this: Every day I get dressed for work at home, then drive 22 minutes to the office. On Sundays I get dressed for church at home, then drive 15 minutes. When I go to a wedding in my best suit, I still get dressed at home and then drive to the ceremony that way. In other words, I am able to drive my car for 30 minutes to an hour and still make it to my destination looking decent.

As far as meeting coaches and/or site administrators before the game, I've found that most site administrators are usually at the track meet or soccer game and I'll be lucky to see them at all while I'm at their school. The coaches are usually putting their team through their pregame routine and don't like to be bothered. I used to go looking for these people but I admit that I don't do that any more. Forget about reviewing the game while changing back in to street clothes afterwards. Ninety percent of the partners I work with disappear before I even have a chance to get my shoes off. I would love to have these post game chats and adult beverage sessions that you guys always talk about but the next time that happens will be the first time that has happened.

These are all just my personal experiences and of course YMMV.

[Andy]

I answered "car" because that is where I change the majority of the time. Almost exclusively for HS and the JC league that I work. A few of the tournament locations around here have umpire rooms - not really locker rooms, but a seperate room for the umpires.

When dressing from the trunk of the car, I try to park a discreet distance away from the fan parking to have some privacy. I won't drive to the site dressed, but I will have my compression shorts (or pants) on so that I don't feel quite so bad about changing pants in the parking lot.

I would imagine the answer to this question may differ for slowpitch games vs fastpitch games.

[Dakota]

We have one high school that expects the umpires to go inside the school building to change... I've never done it, so I don't know exactly what they have provided as a changing room. They "enforce" this by having their campus "security" making the rounds of the parking lots to harass game officials (baseball and softball) they see in the parking lots.

I was standing there fully dressed by my car waiting on my partner when I got the 3rd degree about where I had gotten dressed. Once I figured out what was happening, I became very impatient and unhelpful with my answers, since I had done nothing even remotely "indecent" while dressing.

I am usually partially in uniform when I arrive. That means compression shorts / tights / cup and uniform pants at a minimum.

I will put these on either at home or I will stop at a nearby fast-food restaurant (fast-food places generally have very clean restrooms, and usually a large stall either for handicapped access or with a baby changing platform that makes for a pretty good roomy and clean dressing room with clothes hanging hooks, etc.).

So, all I am putting on the the parking lot is leg guards, shoes, chest protector, shirt, and hat. And, if I have to change pants, I still have the compression shorts on underneath.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by Chris_Hickman

Doing some market research

Market research for what?

[3afan]

I put the underthings on either at home or at work, then go to the site and finish dressing in the parking lot

i'd guess thats how the majority of folks do

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by 3afan

I put the underthings on either at home or at work, then go to the site and finish dressing in the parking lot

i'd guess thats how the majority of folks do

I am sure of that! I am sure not dropping my knickers for all the women to see what it is they have been missing all of these years!!!

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Skahtboi

I am sure of that! I am sure not dropping my knickers for all the women to see what it is they have been missing all of these years!!!

Hello! Hello!? HELLO!?!?

Somebody wake up Scott, he nodded off at the keyboard again!