- Feb 8, 2009
- 271
- 18
As a long time coach and assigner, here’s my 2 cents:
The great majority of umpires are doing their level best, but are subject to the same frailties as the rest of us( pride, bringing a bad day to the ballpark, etc.)
Being an umpire is not for the thin skinned. I can’t think of another job where 1/2 of the people are unhappy no matter what you do.
For most umpires, this isn’t their primary job, but that doesn’t mean they don’t take pride in it.
There is a reason there are less experienced officials at lower levels… The better ones started there , too. As they’ve gotten better, they’ve looked to worked better competition.
The newer umpires at lower levels can look even worse because inexperienced players means games that tend to get messy. Everybody has to go through those growing pains (players, umpires , coaches and parents).
Umpires are aging out and it’s difficult to replace that experience. We try to add new ones, but it’s a slow process. You do your best to place new ones with the experienced ones. Hoping coaches and parents will understand it’s a process.
As a coach, I try to remind myself that overreacting won‘t change the call.
As an assigner , I try to place umpires in a place where they’ll succeed and avoid using people in places where I close my eyes and wince when I’m making out the schedule.
The great majority of umpires are doing their level best, but are subject to the same frailties as the rest of us( pride, bringing a bad day to the ballpark, etc.)
Being an umpire is not for the thin skinned. I can’t think of another job where 1/2 of the people are unhappy no matter what you do.
For most umpires, this isn’t their primary job, but that doesn’t mean they don’t take pride in it.
There is a reason there are less experienced officials at lower levels… The better ones started there , too. As they’ve gotten better, they’ve looked to worked better competition.
The newer umpires at lower levels can look even worse because inexperienced players means games that tend to get messy. Everybody has to go through those growing pains (players, umpires , coaches and parents).
Umpires are aging out and it’s difficult to replace that experience. We try to add new ones, but it’s a slow process. You do your best to place new ones with the experienced ones. Hoping coaches and parents will understand it’s a process.
As a coach, I try to remind myself that overreacting won‘t change the call.
As an assigner , I try to place umpires in a place where they’ll succeed and avoid using people in places where I close my eyes and wince when I’m making out the schedule.