Mentoring the next generation
By Randy Corwin The definition of mentor is: a trusted adviser or guide who shares their knowledge and experience with others, especially...
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Kent Walker
Sep 284 min read
What I've Learned
My favorite part of the old Esquire magazine was the "What I've Learned" column, where the magazine interviewed celebrities or well-known...
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Kent Walker
Aug 28, 20235 min read
This Column Could Be Better (or 7 steps to becoming a better umpire)
In one of the first games I ever umpired, I was out there as base umpire with no training, no experience. I was just trying to help out....
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Kent Walker
Apr 26, 20234 min read
Play Ball, Help the Kids
By Gordon McFarlane Arguably the year’s best season, spring brings gardens to life, March Madness, NBA and NHL teams competing for those...
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Kent Walker
Mar 24, 20233 min read
Life at the Top
You made it! You've worked hard and now you're top of the heap, the "Big Dog." You get the plate in the Big Game, and you work at the...
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Kent Walker
Feb 1, 20234 min read
Shining your shoes isn't just about shining your shoes
By Kent Walker Generally speaking, I can tell from the moment I see an umpire on the field whether he is a top-shelf or lower-shelf...
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Kent Walker
Oct 21, 20224 min read
SCORING GOALS
When you have a game to umpire, although you may do it subconsciously, you plan a way to get there, and you plan what time you'd like to...
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Kent Walker
Oct 6, 20223 min read
THE CONFIDENCE GAME (Part 3)
It's easy to say "I have lots of self-confidence." But is it true? To find out if you actually are confident or not, here's a series of...
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Kent Walker
Sep 22, 20224 min read
THE CONFIDENCE GAME (Part 2)
Last time we talked about steps to boost your confidence. Hopefully, that will help umpires who lack confidence when on the field. But...
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Kent Walker
Aug 17, 20225 min read
THE CONFIDENCE GAME (Part 1)
To be honest, almost every game I umpire, supervise or mentor, I'm scared to death. And I think that's a good thing. To be clear, I have...
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Kent Walker
Jul 15, 20227 min read
Now You're a Supervisor (part 3): What to say, how to say it, and where to say it
You've watched the game, you've taken copious notes, videos and photos. Now the game is over and it's actually time to begin your...
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Kent Walker
Jun 24, 20225 min read
Now You're a Supervisor (part 2): What to Look for
You're all set to do your supervision. Great. Now what do you do? Above all, you're looking for things that need improvement, that you...
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Kent Walker
Jun 16, 20225 min read
Now You're a Supervisor
There are different reasons experienced, high-level umpires sit in the stands and watch other umpires work games. For example, you could...
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Kent Walker
Jun 3, 20225 min read
Words are Important
When I was 10 and in my first year of organized baseball, our pitcher asked the rest of the team if anyone wanted to be the catcher that...
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Kent Walker
May 27, 20224 min read
Leaders Should Be Readers - Part 3
If you've been reading along, you've probably found lots of books not commonly related to umpiring that can help you improve your game....
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Kent Walker
May 12, 20225 min read
Leaders Should Be Readers - Part 2
As we demonstrated with last week's listing of six books that should be read by umpires in leadership roles, there's a lot more to...
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Kent Walker
May 3, 20226 min read
Leaders Should Be Readers
Perhaps when you first started umpiring, there should have been a notice that said "Warning: the job of umpiring requires extensive...
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Kent Walker
Apr 15, 20223 min read
REMEMBER: YOU'RE ALWAYS BEING WATCHED
The headline sounds spooky, doesn't it? But no, this article isn't about Big Brother watching you. It's about young, impressionable...
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Kent Walker
Mar 25, 20227 min read
THE JOYS OF GAME MANAGEMENT
Right off the top, let's point out that there's no way to cover in detail all the aspects of game management in one article. It's a...
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Kent Walker
Oct 2, 20207 min read
Finding Umpires Who Are Ready To Move Up
Last time we looked at umpires who indicate they're not ready yet to move up (see APPEARANCE, TIMING AND FOUL CALLS: INDICATIONS TO LOOK...
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