erry Crawford and Richie Garcia were everything I had heard … and then some. They were blunt, honest, hands-on, and they learned our names. But what struck me was their attitude toward the campers and toward instruction. They focused on the basics but didn’t make an umpire feel like a complete idiot.
Quality instruction
My group worked with Jerry on Friday and Sunday, and Richie on Saturday. Jerry focused on what was appropriate for the umpire. For some guys, he emphasized locking into position. In fact, for most of the umpires in my group he spent time teaching them how to lock in consistently and set the “tripod” in the same position for every pitch. For those who already had a good, consistent locking mechanism in their stance, he would work on other major problems.
Aside – The instructors used the camera metaphor frequently throughout the camp. Getting set was referred to as "setting up a tripod"; "seeing the play" was the equivalent of taking a picture. They are good metaphors and extremely accurate in describing the events that occur.
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