My weekend and associated politics
Went to Queenstown on Saturday. Good times. Umpired on the famous gravel ground - Devils intraclub game: north west v south. North west got up by 2 points after leading all day.
It was wet and muddy - not very inviting. But it made for a good run with heavy legs in the second half particularly.
Two negatives: the drive - seven hours stuck in the back seat of the Tarago and a bloody field umpire who wouldn't shut up about how it was the worst day of his life and that he was never doing this again, never coming to Queenstown, all the people must have no life whatsoever and that they must all be subhuman (didn't say subhuman, but that was essentially what he was saying).
So, let's get onto some decent umpiring politics. Yes, it happens, and I would ask you to come along to change it for the better...
Here goes... Major issues with the elite squad of young (17-24yo) umpires. The whole focus of all the coaching is on these field umpires (ok, only 80%, the elite boundaries and goalies get about 15% between them and the rest is for the rest). So, basically, if you have little potential, you will get little attention. It makes perfect sense, the reasoning isn't too bad, but in practice it is suicide.
I umpired at Channel on Sunday, and I saw two older field umpires who no longer umpire for the association. One was saying he rocked up to training, only to be completely ignored and fobbed off by relevant coaches. That is the last that I will see of him for a long time, I'd say.
Considering that we are about 20-40 field umpires short, it is those older guys that are the future of umpiring in Tasmania. That goes against all current logic of investing in the youth, I know, but let's think this through.
If you create a community of happy older umpires, you have the benefit of so many years of experience. Not only this, but these are the men who are reliable, who won't let you down (pulling out at the last minute unless due to heart attack). By growing this group, you create for yourself a group of satisfied guys that stick with it, they are replaced by young men who will all too soon be old with very little potential.
It is important to realise that most people are not elite athletes, but most people can achieve a high level of competency in a given task. To try to tailor a whole association towards such a minority of excellence you just breed egos among the talented, and discontent among the layman.
But don't go too far. That pathway to the top is still a powerful marketing tool for fresh young people to take up umpiring.
It was wet and muddy - not very inviting. But it made for a good run with heavy legs in the second half particularly.
Two negatives: the drive - seven hours stuck in the back seat of the Tarago and a bloody field umpire who wouldn't shut up about how it was the worst day of his life and that he was never doing this again, never coming to Queenstown, all the people must have no life whatsoever and that they must all be subhuman (didn't say subhuman, but that was essentially what he was saying).
So, let's get onto some decent umpiring politics. Yes, it happens, and I would ask you to come along to change it for the better...
Here goes... Major issues with the elite squad of young (17-24yo) umpires. The whole focus of all the coaching is on these field umpires (ok, only 80%, the elite boundaries and goalies get about 15% between them and the rest is for the rest). So, basically, if you have little potential, you will get little attention. It makes perfect sense, the reasoning isn't too bad, but in practice it is suicide.
I umpired at Channel on Sunday, and I saw two older field umpires who no longer umpire for the association. One was saying he rocked up to training, only to be completely ignored and fobbed off by relevant coaches. That is the last that I will see of him for a long time, I'd say.
Considering that we are about 20-40 field umpires short, it is those older guys that are the future of umpiring in Tasmania. That goes against all current logic of investing in the youth, I know, but let's think this through.
If you create a community of happy older umpires, you have the benefit of so many years of experience. Not only this, but these are the men who are reliable, who won't let you down (pulling out at the last minute unless due to heart attack). By growing this group, you create for yourself a group of satisfied guys that stick with it, they are replaced by young men who will all too soon be old with very little potential.
It is important to realise that most people are not elite athletes, but most people can achieve a high level of competency in a given task. To try to tailor a whole association towards such a minority of excellence you just breed egos among the talented, and discontent among the layman.
But don't go too far. That pathway to the top is still a powerful marketing tool for fresh young people to take up umpiring.
posted by BSJ-rom at 10:01 pm
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