newbie umpire clinic

[abevillarreal]

Hey all, I'll be running a few ump clinics for the local LL. it will mainly be coaches/managers some with no officiating experience but most with even less. I will only have 3-4 hours with each group. they will just be working small diamond. with that in mind what would you try to cover in such a short time? I don't want to spend 30 minutes discussing box vs. scissors. I know 4 hours is just barely enough time to learn foul/fair, catch/no catch, but its all I've got. so, any advice? thanks, Abe

[western_ump]

4 hours isn't even eough for catch/no catch... :) I've seen catch/no catch discussions at camps/clinics go on and on and on because of third world questions, etc.

If all you have is 4 hours, I'd suggest that you just focus on propper mechanics, and propper position on the field. My HS association takes an entire day for it's training clinic, and that's barely enough to get the basics into the new guys, and help the vets dust off the rust.

[BrianC14]

4 hours isn't even eough for catch/no catch... :) I've seen catch/no catch discussions at camps/clinics go on and on and on because of third world questions, etc.

If all you have is 4 hours, I'd suggest that you just focus on propper mechanics, and propper position on the field. My HS association takes an entire day for it's training clinic, and that's barely enough to get the basics into the new guys, and help the vets dust off the rust.

A "whole day" with both the noobs and the vets? Yikes. That isn't very much, unless you have only 3 or 4 new guys to train.

Our latest class was 40 new recruits, and we have six sessions in the cages for plate work, which run about 5 hours per session, and one all-day session for base work.

[semper_fi_72]

Hey all, I'll be running a few ump clinics for the local LL. it will mainly be coaches/managers some with no officiating experience but most with even less. I will only have 3-4 hours with each group. they will just be working small diamond. with that in mind what would you try to cover in such a short time? I don't want to spend 30 minutes discussing box vs. scissors. I know 4 hours is just barely enough time to learn foul/fair, catch/no catch, but its all I've got. so, any advice? thanks, Abe

Not enough time to be worth anything.
We are doing 4 hour clinics each Saturday for 6 weeks.
1 Rules clininc
2 Field Mechanic Clinics
2 Cage Clinics
1 day of scrimmages, switching folks in and out of a Major and Junior Game.

4 hours you can cover how to dress properly. :rolleyes:

[BrianC14]

Not enough time to be worth anything.
We are doing 4 hour clinics each Saturday for 6 weeks.
1 Rules clininc
2 Field Mechanic Clinics
2 Cage Clinics
1 day of scrimmages, switching folks in and out of a Major and Junior Game.

4 hours you can cover how to dress properly. :rolleyes:

Agreed. 3 or 4 hours... man, that's nothing.

Like Semper Fi's classes, we also have rules classes - 8 meetings of 2.5 to 3 hours each night. Interspersed with that are the cage clinics, base work, and each new guy has to work at least 2 scrimmages under the supervision of a mentor.
Now, this is for LL you say, but I can remember training a half dozen 14 YOs back in the day for a newly-created LL in my town, and we met six times and spent about 3-4 hours at each session.

[umpjmb32]

Well, Abe, according to the previous posts, you might as cancel the whole thing, 'cause you're screwed!

Unfortunately, you've only got four hours. Fortunately, you've got four hours!

Do what you can. My suggestions:

1. Spend 30-45 minutes discussion what to wear/when to show up/ etc. If your local league has specific uniforms, let them know. Demonstrate by wearing what you expect them to wear. Discuss when they need to be at the field, and what happens beofre the games.

2. Spend 30-45 minutes demonstrating and practicing the mehcanics of various calls-- safe/out/fair/foul/strike... Line them up and have them do repetitive calls.

3. Spend and hour and half on plate stance. Again, practice making calls-- strike/ball/etc. You might spend 15-20 minutes demonstrating and practicing moving to call f/f, trailing B1...

4. Spend an hour demonstrating and practicing A,B and C positions. Explain when and why they should be there. If you're working closed bases, expain when and how to move inside. Practice where to move to make a call at 1B.

5. If you have time, spend a few minutes stressing the need to get in the rule book. Discuss a few problem rules, such as obstruction or interference.

6. Go get yourself a big margarita! And know that you have done more for these newbies than most newbies get!

Good luck! jb

[heyblue26]

Umpire clinics that I have been to here in Korea are 5 to 6 weeks long saturdays 1500-2100 and sundays 0800-1800 and consist of class room work and covering the rules book page by page and situations and then on sundays it is excerise field work and positioning, mechanics and situations etc. We also conduct Scrimages with local teams and we are broken down in to odd and even groups in which we switch out in postions of plate and base mechanics and are corrected on our mistakes and this is done over and over then the final two days of the clinic are for review and prepraing for final written test and field testing and then graduation.

[kyle_jt]

Depending on the numbers involved, you may want to run it like a baseball team practice. Get a number of stations set up, with instructors at each. One for plate work, one drilling the basic six, others working making calls at first, and getting inside on balls to the outfield. That's what I do.

Your next clinic should revolve around a game or scrimmage. You can lecture them 'til you're blue in the face, but nothing beats being on the field. I'll take a minors game, maybe even a non-competitive one, and rotate in base umpires. I'll instruct from the bull pen, with the rest of my students watching with me. Blabbing about it, and drawing on the white board is good for about 15 minutes. But seeing good umpires demonstrate proper rotations, and then going out and performing can't be beat.

For newbies to sit in a classroom, and listen to someone drone on for three hours, is about two and a half hours too long. Get them on a field, making basic calls, and work from there. My clinics run from Opening Day on. I have my experienced guys on the field, and we "go to school" on them. My clinics start an hour before game time, have a half an hour of classroom time, half an hour of basic six, and then we hit the fields.

Note: This is all for the LL level. YMMV.

[Pete_Booth]

Hey all, I'll be running a few ump clinics for the local LL. it will mainly be coaches/managers some with no officiating experience but most with even less. I will only have 3-4 hours with each group. they will just be working small diamond. with that in mind what would you try to cover in such a short time? I don't want to spend 30 minutes discussing box vs. scissors. I know 4 hours is just barely enough time to learn foul/fair, catch/no catch, but its all I've got. so, any advice? thanks, Abe

You said LL so the first thing you need to do is have a "cheat sheet" of all the LL nuances that DO NOT exist in other baseball organizations. Here are a few.

1. Coaches cannot warm-up F1
2. You said small diamond so no head first slides (going forward)
3. No on deck batters EXCEPT the first batter in each inning.
3. have Fun with LL rule 7.13 (leaving early) perhaps the most convaluted and difficult rules to make sense of.
4. Then there's rule 7.14 (Special Pinch runner rule)
5. rule 7.08(a-3) LL's joke of a safety rule

many many more.

Therefore, as mentioned since you are training LL umpires you need to have a "cheat sheet" of LL nuances. Also, I would not spend too much time on 7.13 or 7.14 otherwise you could spend the ENTIRE day trying to explain them.

Also, have a cheat sheet of the BASIC rules meaning fair / Foul IFR Interference and obstruction.

Yes mechanics are VERY important but you need to undertsand the rules.

As mentioned since you only have 4 hours I would not spend more then 1 hour on the rules but I would have handouts that explain them so that the particpants could read them at their leisure.

Also, if you have an E-mail address give that out to the particpants should they have questions on the hand-outs.

The next 3 hours should be spent on mechanics.

1. Show them where the umpires room is or where they can get equipment.
2. Show them the use of the balloon and the inside protector

Demontsrate the various stances and where the PU should position themselves and have everyone get behind the cage because inevitably some of the particpants will have "flinching problems" and you will need to address this.

Also, since it is LL there is nothing wrong in wearing the balloon if they are afraid or do not feel comfortable wearing the inside protector.

Then base positioning using the 60 ft mechanics where the BU is on the OUTSIDE of the diamond.

Notice I left out apparel.

RE: This is LL where it is volunteer. Therefore, most of the apparel will be "out of pocket" You can make some suggestions.

Example: I first started in LL and I wore grey pants from an old suit I had. back then we wore the elbeco blue shirts so I went to sears and purchased a blue shirt for $10.00 bucks and had my wife sew on the LL patch.

I bought the hat a indicator for about $4.00 dollars.

It wasn't until I became HS certified that I bought my own equipment.(I now had the money to do so)

Perhaps the LL organization that these individuals will be working out can subsidize some of the apparel.

The others are correct in that 4-5 hours is NOT enough but again this is LL and the particpants are volunteering etc so you have to treat it that way.

Do not know how big the classes are but if you can get a steady 4-5 people who are truly interested would be a good day.

Pete Booth

[Pete_Booth]

A "whole day" with both the noobs and the vets? Yikes. That isn't very much, unless you have only 3 or 4 new guys to train.

Our latest class was 40 new recruits, and we have six sessions in the cages for plate work, which run about 5 hours per session, and one all-day session for base work.

Brian that's how many classes are

BUT you get paid for your services.

This poster is talking LL so you are going to get a different "brand" of personnel.

Example:

I first started in LL and did not know or have any inclinations of taking up umpiring. I simply wanted to give back to the community and help out wherever I could and in just about every LL organization Umpires are almost Always needed so that's what I did.

As I started umpiring I started to like it and then joined an association and went to clinics etc. similar to the classes you describe.

Yes 3-4 hours is NOT nearly enough time but when recruiting for LL that's all you are going to have.

The main problem withh LL is their rules which are unique and I indicated what they are in another response.

Pete Booth

[dist4ump]

Excellent posts Pete, just want to add that proper positioning is paramount also...don't want to hear "How can you call that, you're outa position" or " Howd you see that?" Just my two cents

[western_ump]

A "whole day" with both the noobs and the vets? Yikes. That isn't very much, unless you have only 3 or 4 new guys to train.

Our latest class was 40 new recruits, and we have six sessions in the cages for plate work, which run about 5 hours per session, and one all-day session for base work.

Sorry... I wasn't clear about what our association does. We run an all day, intense cage/base work clinic for vets and noobs. We focus the vets on different things than we focus on with the noobs.

We run training in the classroom, and occasionally out on the baseball field(our meetings are held at a local HS) after general meetings.

[catoblue]

I have actually given a LL Umpire "quickie" clinic chore before, and 4 hours is as quick a quickie as it gets. umpjmb32 has most of what I covered in a half-day with volunteer dads and coaches that will be calling LL games. If you can get some help, then the station method that Kyle mentioned will make it go smoother, but if not, below is what I'd start with, with just a little tweaking.

Well, Abe, according to the previous posts, you might as cancel the whole thing, 'cause you're screwed!

Unfortunately, you've only got four hours. Fortunately, you've got four hours!

Do what you can. My suggestions:

1. Spend 30-45 minutes discussion what to wear/when to show up/ etc. If your local league has specific uniforms, let them know. Demonstrate by wearing what you expect them to wear. Discuss when they need to be at the field, and what happens beofre the games.
Absolutely a must - however, I'd stop at 30 minutes. attire - 5 minutes, pre-game - 25 minutes.

running total 0.5 hours

2. Spend 30-45 minutes demonstrating and practicing the mehcanics of various calls-- safe/out/fair/foul/strike... Line them up and have them do repetitive calls.
another must, 30 minutes should be sufficient.

running total 1.0 hours

3. Spend and hour and half on plate stance. Again, practice making calls-- strike/ball/etc.
I would not spend more than 30 minutes on plate stance. Show them a couple options (box, slot, scissors) and let them play around a little to figure out which they like. Pair them up and have them take turns as umpire/catcher to get a feel for how their stance affects their vision of the K-zone. While the stance is important, the next piece is more important (IMHO)

running total 1.5 hours

You might spend 15-20 minutes demonstrating and practicing moving to call f/f, trailing B1...
I'd up this to 30 minutes. Getting into the right position, and thinking about positioning, to make a call, will make them better umpires.

running total 2.0 hours

4. Spend an hour demonstrating and practicing A,B and C positions. Explain when and why they should be there. If you're working closed bases, expain when and how to move inside. Practice where to move to make a call at 1B.
I'd leave this one as-written.

running total 3.0 hours

I would also throw in 30 minutes of rotations and responsibilities (who'se call is it?)

running total 3.5 hours

5. If you have time, spend a few minutes stressing the need to get in the rule book. Discuss a few problem rules, such as obstruction or interference.
We have 30 minutes for this, so use it for problem rules and to dispel "rules myths". (hands are part of bat, foul tip is foul, a bouncing pitch that hits a batter attempting to get out of the way is just a ball, etc.)

running total 4.0 hours (but if it needs to run over a little...)

6. Go get yourself a big margarita! And know that you have done more for these newbies than most newbies get!
Amen! I've attended "mandatory" clinics put on by the extended local league we belong to, that lasted 20 freaking minutes!!! While 4 hours is not nearly enough to train effective umpires, it's a lot better than nothing at all - which happens in a lot of LL Leagues. You're doing the local league a big favor in giving a clinic. An idea to make a short clinic more effective is to put a mentoring program in place if you have some experienced, knowledgeable umps available to work with these guys that will be attending the clinic.

Good luck! jb Ditto!!!!

[dist4ump]

Inform your prospects that for about 80 bucks the can go to LL HQ or a regional office for two days and have the best training available plus meals, plus a room, and you will get an very qualified umpire.

[lustersilk]

Inform your prospects that for about 80 bucks the can go to LL HQ or a regional office for two days and have the best training available plus meals, plus a room, and you will get an very qualified umpire.

Many leagues and or districts will pay the tuition cost for a willing volunteer. It's a good investment.

[kyle_jt]

Inform your prospects that for about 80 bucks the can go to LL HQ or a regional office for two days and have the best training available plus meals, plus a room, and you will get an very qualified umpire.

Better still, send your teenagers to the WR Junior Umpire Training school. $300 for a week's worth of top notch training. It's by far the best thing that LL does for its kids.