| Control
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| When they’re new and learning the avocation, officials often feel out of control on the field or court. They’re just trying to stay alive in the middle of a game as athletes do their kinetic shuffle all around. If the rookie has enough sense about him to make a call, great! Awareness and confidence about yourself as an official, and as an official in charge of the game is a process that can take years to accomplish and some never do completely. But with each game worked, you’ll feel a greater sense of control accompanied by a lesser feeling of being out of control. A year into his new profession, Carter can look back and smile at his first game and the apprehension that came with it. “It was a lot of anxiousness and nervousness,” Carter says, recalling the slow-pitch men’s softball game in early spring of 2000. “I didn’t feel the control I feel now. That’s the key — having control. Having control comes through experience and knowing exactly what you need to do. “It was a sense of a relief that I got through it with less tragedy than I anticipated. After that first or second or third game, I relaxed. You hear guys say, ‘Good game, ump.’ That doesn’t mean anything because you’re only as good as your next game, but it does leave you with a sense of pride.” |
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