ASA National Umpire School- Columbus, Ohio

[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!