What do you do to get ready for Nationals?
 

Well it's that time of year again and I know from previous threads a lot of the people on this board are getting ready for Nationals. What do you all do in order to get ready?? Obviously hydrate well the last week or two before the tourney, but what else to you do. Not only physically but also what do you do to your equipment / uniforms.

I wash them.


;)

Sure your fellow umpires are glad to here that. Now, if the can just get you to do that during the season. :rolleyes:

Don't forget the little stuff that seems routine. I would usually have two-four ball bags fully equiped. Each had a line-up card holder, good brush, pen (click, not capped), two indicators and a couple disposible lens wipes for glasses. I would keep a flipping coin in the line-up card holder. One bag would include a well-used brush and a credit card-sized plastic scraper for bad weather games.

I found it useful to bring a small container of laundry soap and some fabric softener sheets. The laundry in the hotels are outrageous. Plus, a bunch of quarters. It is usually faster and cheaper to drive to a laundromat and do your laundry instead of waiting for a machine to open up in the hotel.

Study rule book, case book and clarifications. Dry cleaners for clothes and keep them in the wrapper in dressing room. Practice mechanics in front of mirror. Reviewed umpire mechanics--positioning. Buy new uniforms to go with acceptable ones.

And find out who your UIC is and his/her forte.

For J.O. play, bring your freakin time piece! I have worked or TDed 4 out of the past 5 weeks in 18u Gold Championship play and I wish I had a dollar for every time a blue walked on the field with no time piece. J.O. Play is a timed game and it is the plate umpire's responsibility to control that. (if its not a timed game, so be it, but if it is, don't sell yourself short!)

Just keep it in your pocket or ball bag. OTOH, you would think the scorekeeper would be better situated to keep the time.

or attached to your mask :D (wear few 'know' what you are looking at)

but OTOH, I, as the plate blue, I do not really want to have to 'keep' going back to the scorekeeper every time a coach asks...... 'blue, how much time?; (yes, timed games stink too!)

I'm not. I'm directing the coaches to the scorekeeper. ;)

wear????? how about 'where' (its the heat...yep, thats it)

... and not a kitchen timer clipped on the fence?

;):D

And I really made a serious effort to not go there...... :D

Could you do me a favor and "go there".

In my experience, timers on the fence, "in plain sight" of coaches is the preferred way to administer timed games.

This goes for many of the organizations I have worked.