Still Some Ways To Go

Boy, the last several days of school have been tough. I don't think I've ever experienced as much frustration, confusion, and exhaustion as I have over the recent days. Needless to say, school has definitely been a challenge, not so much in learning the material and content, but in the application of it on the field. And while our instructors tell us that this is exactly what we should be experiencing and that we'll be okay, I wonder if we'll truly be able to master everything by the end of our 5 week course.

To clarify, the part that I, along with the rest of the class, am struggling with is NOT the rulebook. While learning from the rulebook about the "laws" of baseball is by no means easy, it is just slightly easier than the rest of class. The rules themselves are relatively black and white, especially with approved interpretations to help clarify. Consequently, studying the rulebook becomes more of a memorization exercise, and one simply has to remember which rules apply in which situations, and then apply one's own innate judgement.

Our headaches are coming from developing and applying the proper footwork and movements on the field. In class and on the field, we learn and practice the specific movements and footwork to use for every situation. But diagnosing the situation at game speed and then utilizing the correct and appropriate footwork instinctively without hesitation? That has been extremely difficult, since it all depends on how you "read" and react to the play, which is always changing and morphing. In addition, even if we got the general footwork and movements right, none of us have been able to perform all the mechanics to perfection, and are inches off at best. Yes, inches might not sound like a lot. But with the focus and attention on details and the instructors constantly giving us minor adjustments to make, inches seem more like miles. Of course, this doesn't even cover the issues that we currently have with field awareness (where the ball is and what ALL the runners are doing).

Nevertheless, this doesn't mean that we haven't made progress. Everyday, slowly but surely, we get more and more comfortable with things we learn in school. For instance, since the start of school last week, I've essentially "forgotten" many of my past umpiring mechanics that were incorrect, such as my plate stance, ball & strike calls, safe & outs, etc. If I look at progress from this perspective, I shouldn't be too down on myself considering that I am picking up all the things that we're learning in class, and perhaps it'll only take time before I master the newer material. In a way, I imagine that the frustration is coming from being overwhelmed by the amount of new things that we're covering everyday and the inability to master it immediately. I guess that the best that I can hope for is that my light bulb will go on and that everything will come together piece by piece before the end of school.

In other news, we got a early end to class today since we were "rained out" and couldn't do our field work and hence, I had a chance to type this post, synced to the rhythmic sound of ocean waves. I can also report that I have yet to get sunburn or panda eyes, although my farmer tan is looking pretty good and I reek of Coppertone SPF100.