Month: June 2015

“Hey, Blue, Time Out!” My first thought is, “Come on, you know you can ask for time. I am the only one who can grant time or give time.” This is just one of the fun things I have to deal with as an umpire. I was told by a coach once, “Don’t ever leave the sport you love. If you love a sport, coach it. If you are in love with a sport, officiate it.”

I really didn’t understand what he meant by that. That was until I became a coach and an official. Coaching is the fun part of the sport you love: you get to play, strategize, and teach your team to become better and better. I coached tennis in Mississippi and in Germany, where I got the chance to lead a lot of great kids to new heights. In Mississippi, I helped the team get over the hump and win state. In Germany, I took the team to three consecutive 2nd place finishes.

This is an amazing testament to how awesome the kids were. You see, being on a military installation, it was rare to carry the same team over to the next year. Most coaches have to deal with graduation. I not only had to deal with that but also with Permanent Change in Station (PCS) movers. Every year I had a great group of kids that were willing to learn and play. Those kids helped me win Coach of the Year in my first year.

But with all of this fun there is also the stress. Who to play in what order, who plays well together on a doubles team, who does not. Who is better by themselves, when to talk to a kid or when to let them be. And then there is a whole another level of stress called… you know what, I will get back to that later.

First let me get back to officiating. If you are in love–and I mean IN LOVE–with a sport, you should officiate that sport. Let me tell you why. It gives you a new appreciation for that sport. My sport of choice is baseball. Now I could go into why I love–and do I mean LOVE–baseball. I will get into that more in a few weeks.

Anyway, back on track: officiating. Officiating lets you see the sport you love in a new light. It takes your bias away from one team or another. You see the game through the eyes of the judge. At first, when you start looking at all the rules, you become overwhelmed. Looking at the rule book, you start looking at everything you did when you were playing. All the arguments you had, all the times you thought you were right. All of your views start to change, your understanding grows deeper, and your knowledge expands.

You take your test, buy your equipment, and get ready for your first game. You do your pregame, you do everything to get started. Now normally your first games will be on the bases. Mine were not, since I started off doing 50+ slow pitch softball. So there is only the umpire. So there I was, behind the plate, waiting for that first pitch to come in, my heart racing. It hits. I make my call and I start to hear moans and groans from people. Next pitch hits, more moans and groans. I think to myself, “I’m just making the calls, sorry if you don’t like them.” A few years later another umpire told me that on your first call, you will make half the crowd dislike you; your second call, the other half will dislike you. Now everyone dislikes you and there is nothing you can do about it.

Now, I have to say most of the leagues I umpire in are volunteer leagues. That means I don’t get paid for any of the work I do. That means all the work and effort on and off the field that I put in is all for the kids. I want to do the best I can for the kids and for the game itself. When you go on to officiate a sport, you see it at its purest form. You see it in the most unbiased form. You fall more and more in love with the sport, and now you become as much a part of it as it to you.

Oh, and side note: I am a human. I have made mistakes and I will make mistakes. That is part of being a human. This is something that people need to remember, because people expect us umpires to be perfect at the start of the game and get better as the game goes on. Most of the complaints that I hear are from–can anyone guess? Yeah, that’s right, PARENTS.

I told you I would get back to parents. Parents, you are the worst. Okay, that’s not 100% true. Umpires who don’t want to study the rules and use made up rules are. “Tie goes to runner.” Listen to me, now: there are no such things as ties. Either the ball beats the runner or the runner beats the ball. Again, THERE ARE NO TIES! Okay, back to parents. You are there to encourage your kids. You are not there to belittle the coaches or the officials. I personally have had some nasty things said to me, both as a coach and as an umpire. On the flip side, there have also been some funny things said to me. Remember, parents, what your kids see you do is what they are going to do. Don’t like who your kids are becoming on the field? Look at yourself first.

But, parents, let your coaches do their jobs. If you think you can do a better job then why don’t you coach? Are you too busy, don’t have enough time? I have heard every excuse in the book. Guess what? We all run a busy life, but the coaches are the ones who are putting their time and money out there.

Last but not least, coaches. Oh, coaches. You are the ones who should know the rules and are the ones in charge of keeping your parents informed and settled through the game. Don’t come after officials for your lack of knowledge.

So back on point, if you love a sport, try coaching. It will give you a different perspective. If you are in love with a sport, I encourage you to go out and officiate a game or two. Heck, why not go all out and do a full season. But at least, if you even watch a sport, go to a class or a clinic. Even then you will start to see a new side of the game.

With all that being said, I think I need some time to relax and read my rule book to make sure I am ready for the tournament season coming up. I will see you all next time at the “Ballgame.” I’ll be the one behind the mask.

The last few weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions for the Iowa State fan. I personally saw this move coming. I always wished that Fred Hoiberg would stay at Iowa State until he retired, but you knew just by watching what he was doing he was becoming the big fish in the little pond. His speed-’em-up offense was fun and exciting to watch, but on the other hand his defense was multiple heart attacks in the making. Fred was the kid from Ames. He was everything the Cyclones needed and wanted. He was “The Mayor.”

Fred grew up in Ames. He was a ball boy at Hilton and he was a three-sport athlete at Ames High. Despite being recruited by multiple colleges for football and basketball, he decided he wanted to play for his home town team. Fred was annoted with the nickname “The Mayor” when he was a freshman in college. He was given that nickname by his teammate Doug Collins. It became solidified when he had write-in votes for the 1993 Ames mayoral race. He would later be known by many other names during his coaching tenure at Iowa State.

He went on to be one of the best players to ever play for Hilton. He was a second round draft pick in the 1995 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers, where he played for 4 years. Then he moved on to the Bulls for 4 more years and played for the Timber Wolves.

That is when Fred’s world came crashing down: he failed a physical. The team doctors wouldn’t tell him why he failed. So he went on to get a check up for his life insurance and found out that he had a heart condition that needed open heart surgery. He received his surgery at the Mayo Clinic and while under the knife he ended up with a heart block. He was only the second person out of 151 to have this happen to him. Now living with a pacemaker, he tried and decided against making another run at the NBA. Instead, he went to work for the T-Wolves front office.

During this time, Iowa State was on a roller coaster ride with a lot more downs than ups. The Cyclones had only a few good seasons between Hoiberg’s playing era and his coaching era. They only went to the NCAA tournament 5 times and the NIT twice in a 15-year span. I know that sounds good, but for what we in Cyclone Nation have come to expect, that wasn’t good enough: we have come to expect to be in the NCAA almost every year. Average or just above even 500 is just plain boring. You want to have a shot at the national championship. Another thing that plagued Cyclone Nation was a number of personnel issues. Larry Eustachy was the first real hope to bring Iowa State back to the national spotlight. Things really started looking up until the ’02-’03 season. On a trip to Columbia, Missouri, Eustachy attended a college party, after which he struggled with alcoholism. He would resign on May 5, 2003. The Cyclones went 114-107 over the next 7 years with 2 coaches.

Enter FRED HOIBERG and his coaching ERA. This was an interesting hire to say the least, for he had never had any type of coaching experience. He was a front office exec at Minnesota before taking the job at his alma mater. I personally was excited to see him come back and coach. That hire really might have been just to get the fan base excited again. Well, it worked: the fan base was excited. Fred went right to work trying to restock a depleted team, so he did what he did best and went looking for talent. He restocked with transfers and players that had a troubled past. Players like Royce White, who was let go from Michigan State because of a robbery charge. Fred took him and molded him into his type of player. Royce would go on to be a first round draft pick.

Fred did what he promised to do and that was bring Iowa State back. He did so, so well and so quick that rumors started to spread just as quick as his high flying offense. But Fred stayed true to Iowa State, staying for 5 wonderful years where he compiled a 115-55 record with 4 consecutive NCAA appearances. He did so by keeping the focus on the players – well, for the most part.

There was that time down in San Antonio where you got one of your new nicknames, SWAGBERG. That of course took off on to a life of its own. You were there when your town and your college needed you the most and for that I want to say thank you, Fred.

I never expected Fred to leave this year, not with a top 10 team ready to my a charge but sometimes bigger and better things call. I knew the Chicago Bulls job was just too hard to turn down. I for one don’t blame him for wanting to move on. I wish him continued success in his coaching endeavors. The only question is who can replace the one the only Fred Hoiberg? I’m happy that it wasn’t me who had to make that choice.

Enter Steve Prohm, the former Murray State coach. Prohm led the Murray State Racers to a 104-29 overall record in his 4 years as head coach and went to the NCAA once. (I know what you are all thinking. I just said that Fred had 4 in 5 and Steve only has 1 in 4. Well, it’s a Divison 1 vs a Mid Major, and it’s harder to get in as a Mid Major.) Prohm has the same style as Fred, fast paced and always ready to score. I believe that Prohm’s defense will be a bit better but that remains to be seen. I believe that Prohm will do well at Iowa State and I am excited to see what he brings to the table.

That is all for now. I am out of here. “Ballgame”