Advancement by Choice

Many people think advancement in umpiring is a matter of luck or a matter of politics. That's wrong. Everything you do in umpiring is really a matter of choice. Luck can help but not if you have made poor choices. Judicious politics is no more than making good choices.

The choices we make are the key to advancement, true advancement that is. There will always be the flash-in-the-pan — someone who gets to a particular level they have not earned. But if you want to live at the level you advance to, then you have to make the right choices along the way.

At first we may umpire for the chance to stay in the game or for the money or for the power or for any variety of reasons. After we have been umpiring awhile, we begin to vaguely assess what we are doing and why. That is when some umpires start thinking about quitting while others begin formulating goals.

When the goals crystallize...

In the beginning most goals are fairly general, like to get more games or maybe to get better games. When the goals begin to be more defined is when we have to start making some choices.

· What are we willing to do?

· What are we willing to give?

· How hard are we willing to work?

· How much time are we willing to grant?

· How much of ourselves are we willing to devote?

The choices we make will go a long way in determining how far we will advance in umpiring. But it is not so simple as identifying a goal and charting a course. This is a

crucial time — a time when an umpire can lose sight of the true rewards of umpiring in a tunneled view of what he wishes to gain.

Don't let that happen to you! The true rewards of umpiring, after all is said and done, come from within. They come from knowing you have done a good job, knowing you have applied yourself wholeheartedly, and knowing you have been honorable.

The Bible says: "What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" I say: "What is an umpire profited, if he shall gain his international rating, and lose his joy in umpiring?"

It's the journey

When setting goals, set realistic goals; perhaps short term and long range ones. Do not let the lofty goals overshadow the passion and pleasure that can be had at every game. Enjoy the journey. It is the means that satisfies, not the end.

· Keep the thrill of the overhand out.

· Revel in the wonderful feeling of hustling and really seeing the play.

· Savor those games when the zone is etched and defined.

· Relish the pure delight of working with a good partner.

· Seize all opportunities to learn from other umpires.

Do those things every game and you will advance. Embrace this concept every game, and you will reap far more than any goal you have set for yourself. Learn to value umpiring for itself — not for the kids, not for the game, not for the exercise, not for the money, not for the glory — but for the fine tuned, exquisite skill that it takes to umpire.

Never let a game dictate how you will umpire

Always make a choice on how you will umpire.

· Choose the position you will move to best see a play.

· Choose how you will respond to an argument.

· Choose how you will treat other umpires.

· Choose how you will present yourself as an umpire.

All excitement, all improvement, all meaning, and all honor depend on those choices. They separate you from that which is stagnant and that which is vibrant. These choices are the difference between really umpiring or being a wimpy shadow on the field.

If you want to advance, whether it be in the ASA program or any other program, don't just tell 'em. Show 'em! That is black and white. It won't change in a year as the rules do. It is a philosophy, a code of conduct, a way of life.

And it works!

You may not achieve the exact goal you set for yourself, but if you follow my philosophy, I guarantee that when you look back at your umpiring years, you will discover far greater treasures than any singular goal would have brought you.

Those treasures will be in the form of life-long bonds you have created with other umpires. They will be feelings of fulfillment, accomplishment, and satisfaction. They will be memories that will always bring a smile to your face.

Those treasures will sustain you, when your knees are gone and you cannot even keep up with the senior league, far more than any plaque on the wall or certificate in a scrapbook.

Here are some choices to get you started:

· Be available.

· Work games.

· Work any game, any level.

· Be on time.

· Turn your paperwork in on time.

· Be reliable.

· Return phone calls.

· Go to meetings.

· Attend clinics.

· Observe veterans

· Sign on for the schools.

· Practice what you have been taught and what you observed.

· Listen.

· Ask questions.

· Accept critiques.

· Work hard to overcome weaknesses

· Study the rules and mechanics.

· Talk the rules and mechanics.

· Apply the rules and mechanics.

· Be honest.

· Be flexible.

· Work within the system.

· Help new umpires.

· Volunteer in your association.

· Respect your partner.

· Learn to value umpiring just for itself.

· Choose how you will umpire.

· Show pride in your umpiring.

· Have integrity.

Emily Alexander, September 6th, 2002

Emily Alexander has been a fast pitch softball umpire for over a quarter of a century. She is the former Metro Phoenix ASA UIC, is currently a Regional Umpire Coordinator for NCAA, and serves on the NFHS Softball Rules Committee. She maintains the “world renowned” website, cactusumpires.com, and can be reached at cactusump@cox.net