DEALING WITH COACHES: AN UMPIRE’S POINT OF VIEW

DEALING WITH COACHES: AN UMPIRE’S POINT OF VEIW

By Robert Hitchman

I remember being in college when one professor said he actually heard other professors, in reference to students, say something like “This would be a great job if it weren’t for the students!” The foolishness of that statement is obvious. Well, I’ve never heard an umpire actually say something like that concerning coaches, but some of the ones I’ve worked with (fortunately not many) definitely gave off that type of attitude. I have heard, however, a few umpires actually say, without us, there’s no game. While that’s true, the reverse is also true. Without the coaches, there’s no game. So, I believe it would behoove us, as umpires, to learn to deal with coaches.

Let’s face it, coaches are like umpires, like teachers, like any other profession. Their personalities are as varied as there are different types of people. While there may not be many Billy Martins or Earl Weavers like back in the day, some of them can still be over the top, even in youth sports. So, here’s a few words on dealing with coaches. I’m sure you’ve heard some of, if not all of, these tips before, but a good umpire, like a good coach or ball player, keeps going over the fundamentals time and time again.

 

1. 1. RESPECT, RESPECT, RESPECT! Before I break down different types of coaches, let me emphasize this vital aspect. To get respect you have to give it. One of the best ways to show respect, is to respect yourself. Make sure you’re not just on time but early. Make sure you’re dressed properly and are properly equipped. Enter the field with your partner. I understand people have different personalities, but this is not the time to socialize. You don’t have to be rude, but I just don’t understand umpires joking with parents, players, or coaches as they’re walking onto the field. Since my first day as an umpire, my demeanor as I’m walking onto the field has always been like Joe Friday, “Yes ma’am, just the facts ma’am “. (For those of you too young to know who Joe Friday was, he was a police detective on the 1960s police TV show “Dragnet” played by Jack Webb. You can probably see him on YouTube.) When you conduct yourself like that, coaches see that you respect yourself and the game and that goes a long way in gaining their respect.
   2. Old yeller. If you’ve been umpiring any length of time, you’ve dealt with this coach. The only time he’s not yelling is during pre-game. He yells at you, your partner, his other coaches, his players, you name it. Every time he comes out to discuss a play he comes out with his hair on fire.  My first piece of advice is do not respond in kind. To me that old expression “I fight fire with fire” is one of the stupidest, most non-sensical things I ever heard. I prefer an old Hebrew proverb, “A soft answer turns away anger”. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never heard of firemen pulling up to a burning building, pulling out their firehose and pouring fire on it to put the fire out. NO! They use water to put it out. If you carry yourself in a calm, controlled manner, there’s a good chance he will see your maturity and reign himself in. You might even want to try to approach him between innings, under the guise of getting some balls, and quietly explain to him that his excessive yelling will not be tolerated. Worst case scenario, you may have to eject him, but don’t do it in a showboat way. You may have to raise you voice a little bit, key word little, to be heard, but under no circumstances come down to his level by getting in a shouting match with him.
   3. Dr. Phil. Fortunately for me I haven’t had many of these but they’re around. The type who tries to use psychology to influence you. Mind you, I’m not talking about the classic “Good call blue, Good job blue”, even when you make a call against them early in the game. To me, that’s harmless. I had a coach disputing a call I made at the plate, and he kept saying “You’re better than that, you’re better than that!” While fighting back a smile, it was all I could do to not respond by saying, “I appreciate the fact that you think so highly of me as an umpire but that doesn’t change the fact that your runner is out. The catcher did not block the plate without the ball.”  I like sarcasm in my comedians but that’s not a good trait in an umpire so again, do not respond in kind, no matter how tempting it may be.  
   4. Perry Mason (Or to bring it more up to date, LA Law). These are the coaches that seem to know every single rule in the book. In some quarters they’re known as clubhouse lawyers. And that term is not a compliment. Almost every other inning they’ll bring up some rule that no one has ever heard of. Some will do it in a malicious, mean-spirited way. Others will do it in a smiling, trying to be your best buddy way. Regardless of which way, the best way to handle them is to make sure you’re on top of the rulebook. And I know sometimes it can be frustrating, especially if you’re doing different leagues at different ages because the rules can vary so much. I find the easiest way to deal with this is, when you get a game in a league you’ve never done or haven’t done in a while, go to the league’s website and go over their rules the night before, or day of the game, so it’s fresh in your mind. Also, if you’re not familiar with the league, check with your partner (which you should be doing anyway) to see if he is. This way you’ll both be on top of the rules.                                                              Obviously, there are many more types, I could go on and on but that’s enough for now. Finally, one thing I’d need to say. Earlier I mentioned you shouldn’t be joking with coaches before games. Well if you’ve been umpiring any length of time, you’re going to develop relationships with coaches. So, if you’re joking with a coach you’ve known for a while in pre-game, that’s fine, but keep it short, and here’s why. Let’s say you’re doing a game and one of the coaches you’ve known for a very long time, maybe you were teammates back in the day. On the other hand, you’ve never met the other coach. He sees the two of you going back and forth and thinks you are biased. Even if you’re not, it can look very unprofessional. Something to keep in mind.

Well I trust this was helpful to you, so until the next time, let’s “LET’S PLAY BALL!”