ASA National Umpire School- Columbus, Ohio

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by Stevetheump

Bret - I know of two umpires in my association that are going. As for me, I'll attend LOCAL clinics/schools even tournanments, but I refuse to leave my handicapped wife's side for an overnight/weekend ANYTHING.

I'm sorry to hear that, Steve. Out of honest curiosity, would it be possible to bring her along on one of these trips to a National School? If the location's right, she could still enjoy herself while you get some good training and meet some good umpires!

[Stevetheump]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

I'm sorry to hear that, Steve. Out of honest curiosity, would it be possible to bring her along on one of these trips to a National School? If the location's right, she could still enjoy herself while you get some good training and meet some good umpires!

I guess we could do that, NC, but trips really take a lot out of her (and me). As it is now, we usually take one trip a year (up to see my folks in NH). Even that takes a toll on the both of us (I'm the driver). It sure ain't gettin' any easier.

[BretMan]

The first day of the Columbus NUS is in the books...

Good guesses on the instructors, Steve. Of course, Jerry Fick is pretty much a "gimme", what with him being located in Cincinnati and heavily involved in all things ASA in Ohio.

We only had two national staff members, the second being Julie Johnson. I had never met Julie before. She struck me as a very competent and entusiastic instructor.

The student/teacher ratio is about 25-to-1. This class is much smaller than the last one I attended in 2008. We had 150 umpires at that one!

[DaveASA/FED]

So what about the second day Bretman?

Also I think almost all National schools are smaller than that one in 2008 was!! I was there too, a bunch of people for sure!!

[BretMan]

Second day...more of the same, with a focus on plate work. Wide spread heel-toe stances, Good Pelvic Alignment, coming set, tracking the ball, timing and all that fun stuff!

I did get a final head count on attendance. We had 60, so the student/instructor ratio was actually 30-1.

I don't want to come off as sounding arrogant, or try to sound like a know-it-all, but I can honestly say that I don't think anything was presented over these two days that I haven't heard before. Having just attended a NUS two years ago, and making a conscious effort to keep up with all the training offered at the local level, personally this clinic was more of a good review than any sort of eye-opening learning experience.

(I could probably also attribute a lot of that to being active on forums like this one, where a wealth of good information is available for any umpire that wants to mine it.)

At least I got to do something "umpire-related" in the dead of winter, had a chance to see some of my buddies from the summer and had some face time with "higher-ups" in the local and state ASA chain of command. Throw in a spiffy souvenier shirt, a suitable for framing graduation certificate and a free ASA umpire flipping coin and it was a weekend well spent!

[Stevetheump]

Originally Posted by BretMan

Second day...more of the same, with a focus on plate work. Wide spread heel-toe stances, Good Pelvic Alignment, coming set, tracking the ball, timing and all that fun stuff!

I did get a final head count on attendance. We had 60, so the student/instructor ratio was actually 30-1.

I don't want to come off as sounding arrogant, or try to sound like a know-it-all, but I can honestly say that I don't think anything was presented over these two days that I haven't heard before. Having just attended a NUS two years ago, and making a conscious effort to keep up with all the training offered at the local level, personally this clinic was more of a good review than any sort of eye-opening learning experience.

(I could probably also attribute a lot of that to being active on forums like this one, where a wealth of good information is available for any umpire that wants to mine it.)

At least I got to do something "umpire-related" in the dead of winter, had a chance to see some of my buddies from the summer and had some face time with "higher-ups" in the local and state ASA chain of command. Throw in a spiffy souvenier shirt, a suitable for framing graduation certificate and a free ASA umpire flipping coin and it was a weekend well spent!

Bret - A good weekend overall for you. Our association clinic isn't until the latter part of March (we usually have it in January), so I still have a about another 6 weeks to wait.
I try to learn something at EVERY clinic. I think if you keep an open mind, you WILL learn something. Those who think they know it all, don't.

[BretMan]

Originally Posted by Stevetheump

I try to learn something at EVERY clinic. I think if you keep an open mind, you WILL learn something. Those who think they know it all, don't.

That is my attitude, too. Far from trying to saying that I know it all, my point was that in this particular clinic I can't recall anything that hadn't been presented to me before.

One thing that was new to me- at least from the aspect of having it taught in a clinic- was the "one fist" distance we were directed to set-up behind the catcher. But I had read a discussion about that being taught on this forum sometime in the past year. I didn't recall that directive from other ASA clinics.

Racking my brain for other new things...

A little variation on how the "safe" signal was taught. Raise hands to chest, extend arms palm down- just like always- then relax them at sides. I recall the "old" method of first returning the hands at the chest, instead of dropping them. The instructor's comments led me to believe that was a fairly recent change.

I got a little better grasp of three-man mechanics, which I have studied on my own and seen demonstrated before, but only had the opportunity to work in a game a couple of times.

I guess that I learned a little more about the internal ASA structure within my state, as far as who will be assigning some of the larger tournaments and national qualifiers later this summer. That wasn't from any formal presentations in the clinic- it was from speaking with various ASA officials during lunch and breaks.

So I guess I did learn something. But the thrust of the clinic does seem to be aimed at newer officials. I've only been registered with ASA for six years, but I didn't spend those six years with my head in the sand and my mind in a vacuum! I've availed myself of every available training opportunity and study resource I could find.

Now I am going to have to temporarily "unlearn" some of the ASA stuff I kinow when I attend my state high school baseball clinic next month. They will string me up by my thumbs if I say, "Dead Ball", instead of, "Time", put me on the rack if my head moves to track a pitch and cut off an apendage if I call a strike in the "down" position, then stand up the signal it!