01/19/2021
I received this from another sport, we can use this for fast and slow pitch softball. Take the time now and start looking at your gear and uniforms, etc.. High School season starts in May, be prepared.
1. Inventory your look. Before the season starts, take a complete inventory of your equipment and try on uniforms. Ensure that your gear is clean and in good condition and that your uniforms fit and aren't in need of tailoring. There's no worse time to discover a broken strap on your shin guard than when you're suiting up at the field for your first game of the season.
2. New shoes, particularly plate shoes, sometimes need breaking in. Don't wait for a game to wear the shoes for the first time. Let your feet get used to new leather. Then, when you wear them on the field, you will have fewer problems with blisters or soreness.
3. Order and pack spares. Even if you inspect gear before the season and regularly during the season, things can break. Murphy's Law guarantees those items will break at the most inopportune moments, usually right before a game. As such, it behooves you to carry spares of items that could break or get lost. Having a spare indicator, plate brush, shoelaces and even some extra shin guard straps could be a figurative lifesaver.
4. You must train for what is required of you in your game. Just because you lift weights in the gym and keep a fairly trim body doesn't mean you're ready for the season. You need to do specific training for your sport. In softball, lunges and squats are a must. A well-rounded workout plan is a good thing for officials to maintain during the season and offseason, but focusing on the specifics needs of your sport is also critical. Consult a doctor before starting any fitness program.
5. Solve cap and mask problems before your first game. Practice removing the mask with your LEFT hand so your hat will stay on your head. You don't need the distraction of your hat coming off when you have a play to call. The mask remains in your left hand when not on, including when signaling safes and outs.
6. Check with your partner. Even if you work with the same partner regularly, always call, text or email a few days before the assignment to confirm details, decide where to meet, what uniform to wear and who will work plate and bases. That's a good time to make sure you have each other's cell phone numbers so you'll be able to contact each other if something happens on the way to the game, such as mechanical troubles, traffic delays or a delay caused by going too fast and getting pulled over.
7. If assigners are using online scheduling, keep your schedule up to date, including making sure dates you can't work or are working elsewhere are blocked. Declined assignments or turnbacks will happen, and most assigners are understanding about that if it's infrequent. If it becomes the norm, you can expect your flow of game assignments to become a trickle.
8. Study the rulebook. No matter how many years you've been doing this, there's always something new to learn or something you can learn better. It takes effort to maintain mastery of the rules, and you can't expect to do that by sitting down and reading the rules in one sitting. It takes study. Take a small chunk of the rulebook and read it. Think about scenarios that would play out. Think about how the rule applies. Look at a casebook for examples and further guidance. Especially with NFHS rules, the casebook may outline things that aren't spelled out in the rulebook. Rules mastery will come by taking the rules in chunks versus doing one big session.
9. Find a mentor. If you have someone in your area that is an established umpire and you like the way he/she works, try to model yourself after that umpire. That will take a bit of work because not only do you want to look at the umpire as a role model on the field but off the field as well. Pay attention to the way the umpire handles coaches, carries themselves with a purpose and their mechanics. Also, watch the way they treat game administration. Umpiring at the higher levels is not about balls and strikes or outs and safes. Instead it is about game management and the "off the field" behaviors.
10. TEACH. If you really want to master the rules, try teaching them to new officials. There's no better way to learn a particular topic than to present it to others.
More to follow
