ASA National Umpire School- Columbus, Ohio
 

Just thought I'd check and see if anyone here is going to be at the ASA NUS next weekend in Columbus. It's always nice to be able to put a face with a name for folks from the forum.

OK, if not Ohio, who's going to Florida next weekend?

I noticed that they're holding two schools that same weekend, which is kind of unusual.

I wonder which location will get the "A-list" national staffers? Can't see too many opting for cold and dreary Ohio over warm and sunny Florida!

Interesting point. As an aside, the head of training, Jim Craig, is scheduled to a clinic in Atlanta on Saturday, so he wouldn't be at either.

Just a guess, but I would expect you might see Julie Johnson, Jerry Fick, Bernie Profato, maybe Mike DeLeo in Columbus; perhaps Larry Montgomery, Max Wilkes, Dick Gayler, maybe Gene Harrison or Walt Sparks in Florida. That would be the geographical probables, anyway, and some strong clinicians in each group.

Hopefully, some one from each site will let us know next week, just for the information.

Two guys from here going...........
 

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.

FYI

As an attendee in FL, I received notice that
"Instructors coming from the ASA are: Larry Montgomery, Gene Harrison and Max Wilkes."

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!

Oh you'll have a great time with Larry! He's a great instructor, and he'll keep you on your toes! He was at the Cary, NC, clinic in 2008, and I'll go to any of his schools any day of the week.

Pretty fair guess work on my part. All three were in the group of five I suggested as most likely.

So what's your FL LOTTO pick for Wed. ?

National school.............
 

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.

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!

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!!

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!

Clinics & camps.............
 

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.

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!

I saw that mechanic about 3-4 years ago at a NCAA tournament with umpire evaluation. IMO, that is too close. If someone can handle that, fine, but I don't believe it should be a point of focus.

I went back as far as the 2000 ASA umpire manual and there is no mention of returning the hands to the chest. To be honest, I don't ever remember returning the hands to my chest, but I have seen others use it.

That is the biggest complaint I get from umpires when they return from a national school. It is a shame, but many areas no longer conduct a regular, full-scale mechanic school and push them toward national schools.

I don't recall ever seeing anything about that one way or the other in the umpire manual. What made me think there was some change was the instructor's comment that "we used to teach it that way, but we don't anymore".

It's entirely possible that I'm remembering this from a different sanctioning body's training from several years ago.

Thanks for the input, Mike!

I heard a story of one pro school instructor who ran up to the ball with a bat, beat on it, then said, "It was still alive but it's dead now." :D

Yeah, the baseball guys are real funny about that. I've seen one rush over to the ball and begin artificial respiration. I've heard of another that did some sort of mock funeral, complete with taps and pallbearers.

I did remember something that one of the "helpers" (not a member of the National Staff, but a local guy helping run some of the drills) tried to say I was doing wrong, but I'm not entirely convinced he had it right. Every now and again at a clinic I'll have someone give me an off-the-wall piece of advice and instead of debating the (possibly self-appointed) "expert" it's easier to just smile and nod, then follow up later on your own.

During the Buttonhook Drill, it was reinforced that we should "walk the line" prior to the pitch. The umpire manual says to take "one or two steps toward home plate" and push off with your left foot as the ball is batted.

My normal way of doing this has been to start off (before taking any steps) with my left foot slightly ahead of the right foot. With the start of the pitch, I take one step with the right foot, then a second with the left. This is two steps and it puts my weight on the left foot- so I can push off with it- as the pitch is released. I've done it this way since "walking the line" came back a few years ago and have never had it mentioned in any of my evaluations.

The guy at the clinic was adamant that I should be starting with my right foot slightly ahead of the left, then take only one step forward with my left foot.

Is this personal opinion, personal preference, misguided advice or the prefered method of walking the line?

That was a personal opinion, and assumedly preference.

The idea is to have the umpire out of any set position and prepared to break inside. One or two steps doesn't matter (Chapter 5.A.1, pg 246) to ASA, just push off the left foot. This is a mechanic with which the umpire must be comfortable and fluent.

I walk the line much as you describe, Bret. Left foot slightly ahead, two steps, ready to push off on the left foot as the ball gets to the plate. It gets interesting when you work as U3 and you have to walk the line and push off on your right foot! It takes an inning or so for me to get used to that!

As far as the safe signal, Emily A was teaching to bring the hands back to the chest before dropping them when I got serious about softball 10 - 12 years ago. She was heavily involved with ASA at that time, so I am assuming that is what ASA wanted...I first heard of the "change" to just dropping your hands about 3 - 4 years ago.

I attended a national school last year and my experience was similar to yours. Not much new information, but some good review, a chance to see some fellow umpires from around the region, and a chance to meet a few more people at the national level.

I also like the opportunity to have a different set of eyes take a look at me and tell me what they see. I am always looking to improve and seeking feedback, but sometimes I think that a local UIC and higher ups see you so often, that there is a tendency toward pre-conceived opinions and expectations that is hard to overcome.

We've got a few baseball guys coming into our HS softball association. Fortunately, they are all willing to do things "our way" when they are on the little field with the big ball. (They even untuck their jackets!) :cool:

Fl
 

About 80 atendees in FL..
2 Instructors and several assistants.
Don't have time to write now, but my evaluation would be similar to Brett's.

A good time was had by most..
;-):)

"Dead ball" vs. "Time..."
 

Some of those pro school instructors can be characters. I went to the (then) Bill Kinnamon Umpire school in 1981. Our instructors were Bill, the late John McSherry, Joe Brinkman, Larry Young, Dan Morrison & several minor league umps. One of the fields bordered a cemetary. Well, one of the smart@$$ guys was the HP ump and sure enough, a thrown ball went flying over the fence and in to the cemetary. He could not help himself. He yelled: "DEAD BALL" and then proceeded to make the sign of the cross. I thought the instructor was going to bust a gut trying NOT to laugh. It was a good 5 weeks, though. One of our guys was selected for Umpire Advancement - Angel Hernandez. From what little I've seen of his work on the field, he will NEVER umpire in a World Series. But, that's just my opinion.

IOW, you went to a school that didn't succeed. ;) :p :)

That's odd. It says here he worked the Series in 2002 and 2005.

Angel Hernandez - BR Bullpen

The annual Angel Hernandez bashing will commence in April on the baseball forum. :rolleyes: I will not be participating in it, but some will and you are welcome to join in.