coachKidsSports.com

We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men. - Herman Melville

Recently I had to do something I had seen done thousands of times, but had never done myself; I umpired my son's baseball game.  He's playing fall ball, which is more laid back than spring baseball.  The focus is on development, many of the kids will try out for my son's league next year, and many of the rules are relaxed for the season.  Another compromise is with the umpires.  Instead of hiring real umpires, the league saves some money and has each team provide a "willing" parent to call balls and strikes for half the game. 

Rather than sit in the bleachers for half the game, I decided to call the bases for the first half of the game.  It was fairly uneventful, but there was a close call at first.  The runner was clearly out, but I realized how much a call is made by reflex.  First base makes the catch, the runner hasn't reached the base, the umpire makes the call…  Simple as that…  OF course, reflexes can be bad - especially when they haven't been exercised.

By the time I started calling balls and strikes from behind the mound I was in the game, but still terrified of missing a call.  It didn't take long.  During the first at-bat I called a ball and as the words were leaving my mouth my brain was saying "that's a good pitch".  There were a few more of those pitches, both ways, for both teams; but nothing really controversial or game changing - luckily.  But I did realize how many decisions an umpire makes every game. 

Most calls are routine, but for the 1% that are close - your reflexes better be sharp…  But, I learned another leasson.  Even if you get the call right, you can't make everyone happy.  The other team was stealing home after a passed ball.  The catcher on my son's team got to the ball quickly and tossed it to the pitcher covering home.  The runner slid, the pitcher applied the tag - "SAFE!" - the tag was too high.  My son didn't see it the same way… one more life lesson delivered through sport.