A CEO's Waking Thoughts at The Umpire School's Opening Day

Sometime before 6am. Vero Beach, Florida. Opening Day of Umpire School.

I know it's before 6am because I'm lying in my bed at the Vero Beach Sports Village and my alarm has not gone off yet. Someone is talking to me. It's the voice inside my head. You know the one. The one that is there every morning that tells you "hit snooze one more time". The one that infuses you with self-doubt before you even get going,  such as "why are YOU here?",  before you can even put your feet to the carpet.

In the book, "The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle", Steven Pressfield calls this voice "The Resistance". It's evolutionary and programmed in you to try and to distract you from the real work you should be doing, as well as keeping you from living the life you want to live.

What does your "resistance" say to you?

When our business had the opportunity to partner with the brand new The Umpire School (TUS), managed by Minor League Baseball, with lead instruction from PBUC (the arm that picks, trains and manages its umpires), I was more than thrilled.

One of our responsibilities at TUS is to open a mini-store for its students while they are in session. I drove a cargo van 15 hours from Louisville, Kentucky,  transporting the makings and goods to do exactly this at the facility that once was the LA Dodgers Spring Training Facility. Today is registration day and opening night. The first one ever for TUS.

Thoughts in my head - my resistance - include:

Will the store setup be all that TUS or I hoped it would be and can I get it setup before registration starts at noon? 

Justin Klemm, TUS Executive Director, told me that while I am here, I am considered part of their staff. What an honor, but these guys have over 150 collective years of umpiring experience. The most formal umpire training I have received was a half-day clinic to prepare me for my lengthy 2-year HS umpiring career nearly 20 years ago. Can I truly add something?

I spent some time last night with TUS's course materials. While comprehensive, there are things I, personally, would like to share with the future professional umpires of the world:

• The concept of umpires being the "ambassadors of the game". It is something bigger than the umpires themselves.
• Job satisfaction considerations,especially related to negative aspects from fans and others
• Consideration gear and apparel as tools that allow you to feel comfortable, feel comfortable and to provide confidence.
• The perspective that students' gain here can also make a difference in their umpire community

Will some of these be covered already? Does TUS really want me to share my perspective? Wouldn't it have been smart to have prepared such talks ahead of time?

Will my attempts this week to soak up information and asking lots of questions then sharing my thoughts through this blog and the Good Calls Baseball blog be a little intrusive or annoying?

Can I provide the leadership back at headquarters while I'm here this week? We are going through a significant organizational transition as we hire staff and try some new approaches. Can I stay focused here and not be distracted by company and staff needs?

Is this post even worth writing? Will anyone even read it? 

One of Pressfield's recommendations is to let what you are receiving the most resistance be your guide to what is most important. Then, to get working. The blog post serves as my starting point. Time to shower and get to it. Stay tuned.

Related Posts

• How is Umpiring Like Building Cathedrals?