One of my favorite teachers stopped in the office this week. The topic of umpiring, coaching, and Minnesota weather all came up as topics of conversation. My dad mentioned I should get certified and umpire at the high school level. I was quick to mention I still wanted to enjoy the job.
Last summer I umpired my first JV level games and it was an adjustment. At first I was surprised at how much faster the game was. Not just the length of game, but the ball. It seems like everything moves a lot faster standing behind the plate than in the batter’s box. That thought makes me wonder how I ever hit the ball during my high school career. One thing that came to my mind as I pondered this thought was how much I felt I improved over my career in sports. Thinking about, it all makes sense. After you put in years and years of work, it makes sense that at the end, after all that practice and repetition, that is when an athlete competes at their highest level.
This brings me back to the topic of umpiring. I haven’t been umpiring for that long. It would make sense that I’m improving on the level I umpire, because at this point, I’ve finally adjusted to the speed of the game. I think the same can pertain to other aspects of life. When adjusting to a new job, hobby, or even meeting new people, it can take a while to adjust. Maybe we should all just slow down a little bit to make sure we get things right.
Thought for the week: Sports can teach us a lot. As is often the case, real life lessons are learned from participating in sports and recreational activities that involve working with other people.