Yesterday I had the opportunity to umpire a Little League game from behind home plate for the first time. Another first is that I got to umpire with my oldest son (11) who manned the 3rd base line. I've gone through a single day training and have learned by watching our Umpire in Chief (UIC). The game consisted of kids from 8-11. It was a nice hot day and I didn't adjust the shin guards so well. That caused a bit of discomfort but it was manageable.
I must tell you, it was much better than I thought it would be. I'd been reluctant from getting behind the plate (just ask the UIC). It was funny, here's it's my first game and one of the district level umpires was watching for the first 3 innings or so and game me some pointers in between innings. The UIC was also there for a couple of innings along with another guy who umpires a lot of games. I was very grateful for the tips and support. All in all, it was an excellent time. If you want to really find a way to plug into the community then look into umpiring or officiating in a sport you understand. They are unpaid positions but many kid leagues could use the help.
Posted by Tim at April 9, 2006 11:06 PM
