Then what is the point/problem? If a coaches perception of how I stand in between innings causes him/her to change the way they handle something that happens during play, I can and will deal with that appropriately.

Comparing softball officiating with a real job doesn't hold water IMO. I'm there to worry about the consequences of the softball rolling around on the field, not how a coach perceives my posture at rest.

I completely understand what you and Steve are saying about the way things are - I've dealt with it for years. I just wonder when softball officials became second class citizens to softball coaches and the "powers that be" decided to make us so.

The coach is going to complain to the UIC, assignor, AD, whatever authority will listen and who can affect future assignments

Are you accepting remuneration for your efforts? Have you not agreed to work under standards set by either the sanctioning body or association with whom that body has contracted your services? Do you not risk the loss of opportunity to continue should you fail or refuse to follow those rules and standards?

Sounds like a real job to me.

I worked an ASA national-level tournament (Men's SP Major) where the two teams set to play the championship game, along with the tournament reps approached the UIC (still a member of the NUS) and asked to have the umpire who was due to rotate to the plate to be moved to another position.

It had nothing to do with his skills. He was a good umpire, ISF certified with a Men's Super coming up the following month. From what I gathered, they didn't tell the UIC who they wanted on the game, just stated who they didn't want on the dish for that game.

The reason they asked for and were accommodated with a change was because he was so laid back, the teams did not believe he could appreciate the high competitive nature of that particular game.

I don't think there was an umpire there that believed he couldn't handle the game, but I also understand how the teams got that perception.

You just answered your own question.
The coach's perception of you will definitely affect the way he/she will handle communicating with you. It can be tough enough on a hotly contested call, but if coach perceives you to be bored, pompous or dismissive, it will make matters worse. Not to mention how your partners perceive you.

And the UIC or assignor should consider the validity of the coach's complaint. I don't expect that from an AD.

By "real job", I meant what one does for a living. While I know there are some out there officiating full time, I think they are a huge minority. My "real job" pays ~25 times what I earn officiating softball. It's safe to say that I'm considerably more willing to put up with ancillary BS from my superiors.

Then the UIC did a disservice to the umpire as well as the entire umpire community by allowing the teams' perception to change their assignment.

And my last 8 words address your point.

You're right, what we do can sometimes be tough. I believe we make it tougher by obsessing over things like a coach's perception of our stance in between innings.

No offense ... but if this is your opinion, please get off the field and let those of us who treat the profession as "real" work in your place. That comment is quite offensive, tbh.

The UIC did what was necessary for the customer and the organization he represented (ASA) in this case.

Respectfully disagree. And, as always, I have thoroughly enjoyed the conversation on this board. Here's a little background on why I started this thread.

I want to do all the little things that get noticed positively on-field, and eliminate all the little things that detract from my game in the eyes of an evaluator. I am lucky enough to work with some excellent umpires and UICs, but the usual response when I ask if they have anything for me (especially on bases) is "Nope, looked great." Grrrrrr! Thus, I come to this board and soak up knowledge where I can.

I have always approached amateur umpiring as a "real job". I started when I was 12 with YMCA baseball, and moved to JO FP softball at 15 because the pay was so much better ($16 a game vs. $5!). In a real job, the boss almost always has feedback for you. I got to where I am today by listening to feedback about my work whenever I could get it. At this point, pay is irrelevant. I want to work at the highest level of ball I possibly can, which means I need to get as good as I can. Period.

This means getting noticed by someone with connections, but I don't "play politics" within an organization. I can't be bothered to do so. It obviously puts me at a disadvantage versus someone who belongs to the good ol' boys club, so I have to make up for it on the field. Appearance and professionalism are extremely important to me, even when it is something as minor as how you stand during a lull in play. (Example: I grew my hair out long for a Locks of Love donation from 2010-2012 in support of a co-worker with a child with juvenile cancer. I chose not to umpire any level of ball during this time, as I did not meet my own level of professional on-field appearance. Also, even further off-topic, I have really terrible-looking long hair.)

teebob21 - You need to do as you're doing to try and impress those who can get you where you want to be. I did the same thing and used the prescribed criteria when evaluating. To play you must follow their rules.

I never meant to say that the standards aren't what they are. I question how much perception actually affects events during the course of a game and how much emphasis we're training umpires to put on perception. Yes, how you're perceived will cause coaches to approach you differently, but poor judgment, rules knowledge, or mechanics will adversely affect that perception much more than how you stand between innings. Now, which is more important if you're worried about perception?

You seem to be stuck on these being a distraction, but they should not be any more a distraction than any other mechanic or signal. The entire idea of training and practicing the "little" things is to make them a non-issue during a game.

Do you stop and think about your signals or positioning, or is it just second nature? Same with everything else.

The remuneration should have zero impact on how one approaches or treats the profession. I approach umpiring every bit as professionally as I do teaching. (Which, sadly, pays about the same as umpiring :D )

It seems this thread is all about priorities in more ways than one

Sorry guys, but how you are perceived is often the difference maker in evaluating umpires.

When you have a group of umpires that are all mechanically sound, know the rules and do the signals properly, there has to be a way to differentiate them to move to the next level or fill a finite number of assignments.

I once had a UIC tell me that he made decisions on what umpires received final day assignments at a national tournament by seeing who had cleaner shoelaces. A bit of an exaggeration, but the point is that he had too may outstanding umpires for too few assignments.

He had to use all of those "perception" items to make decisions.