The Skill of Mental Focus For Umpires

by Joel Balberman

Focus or concentration is an important element of the mental aspects of umpiring. Just what is concentration? According to Professors Robert Weinberg and Peggy Richardson, co-authors of Psychology of Officiating, (Leisure Press, 1990) it is "the ability to focus on the relevant cues in the environment and to maintain that focus over the course of the contest." (Many of the ideas included here come from this book.)

Just what cues are relevant for the umpire? It will depend on whether your assignment for that game is the plate or the bases. Plate umpires require a narrow focus most of the time, while their partners in the field must have a broader focus most of the time. The relevant cues are learned through game experience. Meaningless or distracting cues such as crowd noise, must be blocked out. In this way, the umpire can attend to the key elements of the contest.

Attention and focus can be discussed with regards to two factors: direction and width. Direction refers to internal vs external, while width ranges from broad to narrow. Umpires use all four combinations of these factors. For example, an umpire may need to use a narrow-internal focus to calm an overactive emotional state after an ejection before getting back behind the plate. In calling a banger, a narrow-external focus is required. A broad-external focus helps to place the runners after an overthrown ball has gone out of play. A broad-internal focus can help an individual to establish a game plan for personal improvement through goal-setting. Throughout the course of a game, umpires may have to switch rapidly from one type of attentional focus to another.

According to our definition, focus must be maintained from beginning to the end of the game. This means that external factors such as lopsided scores, interruptions and delays, hot, cold or rainy weather, altercations, the length of the game, as well as internal distractions such as improper thoughts, mental and physical fatigue and boredom must be overcome in order to achieve the goal of focus.

What problems do umpires encounter in maintaining focus and attention?

• Many umpires think too much out on the diamond. This could include:
  • thinking about past events in the game such as a possible blown call
  • thinking about the future and all the "what-ifs" that could happen
  • thinking of too many things and too many cues all at once.
  • thinking of events and problems in the umpire's personal life off the diamond

• Anxiety and stress are not controlled and fall below or rise above the optimum level. In either case, attention suffers, and so does performance. In some cases, the umpire may have the improper direction (internal rather than external) and width (narrow rather than broad) of attention. For example, the umpire may be distracted by his or her own anxieties and worries, focusing internally instead of externally on the game. This can lead to poor or inconsistent performance. Activation techniques such as self-talk need to be employed for the too-low stress level, and relaxation techniques can help to reduce a stress level that has risen too high.

In the next article, I will examine how concentration skills can be learned and enhanced.