Learning To Concentrate
The Ticket To Consistency

by Joel Balberman

The ability to concentrate effectively and intensely is an essential skill for umpires to develop, especially those who wish to strive for the pinnacle of consistency. This means that from pitch to pitch, from batter to batter and inning to inning, the calls made will fit within the framework of what you have called before. Additionally, just as high level athletes can produce very good results from outing to outing, umpires who have developed consistency are able to officiate at a high level from one game to the next.

Drs. Robert Weinberg and Peggy Richardson devote a good part of a chapter of their book Psychology of Officiating (Leisure Press, 1990) to methods of improving concentration. They point out that trying to concentrate doesn't work; rather, it is a passive act that cannot be forced. In order to concentrate, and umpire will have to be able to:

keep anxiety under control and learn to deal with pressure
attend to relevant cues in the game and ignore all others
if distracted, refocus quickly
properly use the rules, mechanics and positioning required

Some of the techniques an umpire can use to concentrate can be practised away from the ballpark; others are best used on-site. For a detailed and most informative presentation of a variety of interesting techniques to practise concentration, see the book, as mentioned above. This article will attempt to summarize only some of these methods.

As we have seen in the previous article, The Skill of Mental Focus For Umpires, focus can be internal or external, and either wide or narrow. As umpires, our focus is usually external, unless we have turned our focus inward to use self-talk, or trigger words, or when attempting to calm anxiety, or go through a mental checklist. Think of external focus as a zoom lenses that allows us to broaden or narrow our field of vision. As umpires, situations and plays that arise on the field often demand that we change our field of vision and zoom in or step back for a better look by operating our lens.

Concentration Techniques

One simple exercise that can be used at home involves concentrating on an object and examining it in great detail, then adding distractions and trying to maintain focus despite the distractions.

Another effective method is to use imagery or mental practice. Umpires can use this technique while relaxing at home, and using their imagination to create game situations. It is also a very effective way to read the rule book. Make up the plays in your mind, and actually see them happen. See yourself on the field, making the call, employing proper positioning and mechanics, verbalizing and signaling. In all cases, imagine yourself reacting decisively and in accordance with the intent of the rules.

Trigger Words

During games, some other strategies have been proven to work. One of the most effective is self-talk or the use of trigger words. Self-talk can be used to activate and motivate when focus and interest wanes; a mental kick in the butt. It can also be used to calm and reduce anxiety. The words may relate to a mechanic e.g. "stay down", or "hesitate" or "slow the timing down". They may be reminder such as "take a deep breath and let it out slowly" or "stay within yourself" or "one pitch at a time".

One expression that has worked for me while on the plate came from one of my umpire supervisors at a tournament, and he really did not know when he said this to the crew just how effective his advice was to become for me. He told us at one of our meetings that we had to start "eating the ball". I thought about this for quite a while, and the next day, while on the plate, I kept repeating this expression to myself throughout the game. I found that it worked for me, because it described a mindset and an approach to working the plate that produced very good results for me. I began to "eat the ball" in every game. I now know that when I get back there and eat the ball, I will have a good game.

Find your own trigger words, make them positive rather than negative by saying what you want to do rather than what you do not want to do, and use them to improve your game.

Evaluate But Do Not Judge

As games unfold, we often find ourselves noticing ways we could have performed more effectively. Make mental notes. Tell yourself what you need to work on, but do not do it in a way that is self-critical. This might include such things as:

"You got a little too close to the play that time."
"No hurry. Let the play happen"
"I could have had a better angle by being over here."

None of these comments are meant to chastise, only to produce a better performance. If you feel that you have made an error, let it go; dwelling on it will serve no useful purpose, and the problem will only compound itself by replaying it in your mind. Keep control of your mind, and keep the negative and blaming thoughts out of the picture.

Your Philosophy of Umpiring

As a final aid to maintaining focus, examine your personal philosophy about umpiring. What motivates you? What is there in the game that helps you to derive satisfaction? If you are motivated by the fear of failure, and what drives you is a desire not to "screw up", you will have difficulty with situations where you or others have felt that an error has been made. It is difficult to maintain focus when you have lost confidence in your game or your calls because you are afraid that you might have been wrong.

It is my contention that a better motivation for umpiring is the desire to take personal pride in a job well done; to be driven by the desire to perform to the best of your ability for the players and the teams that you are working with and for. It is far easier to maintain focus when using this philosophy, because you are not looking at umpiring through someone else's eyes or employing the opinions and judgments of others; rather the standards you use to assess your work are internal, the evaluation is self-evaluation. This philosophy also encourages you to keep striving to achieve and improve, rather than being satisfied with your performance.

Learn to get caught up in the game. Enjoy your time on the diamond. Make it a challenge to fully utilize your abilities of mental concentration and focus. Learn and use strategies that will help you to achieve this. Leave the diamond relishing the fact that for that game, you were on a higher plane of mental involvement.

When we learn to employ all our mental skills more fully, we will be many steps closer to becoming the consistent umpires we all want to become.

"A person can succeed at almost anything for which they have unlimited enthusiasm."

Joel Balberman lives in Brantford, Ontario. For more information on him [Click Here].

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