Behind The Mask: Shane Livensparger - Minor League Umpire
1. Describe your morning routine. Do you work out at the gym? Go to lunch with the crew?
My mornings during the season are pretty routine and organized especially for days with night games. Most mornings I wake up around 8 AM to catch the hotel breakfast and do my morning email checks while reading the paper. After the partner wakes up we typically head to the gym for a workout or explore the city with 3 mile or so run. Following the workout we get a bite to eat and relax back at the hotel.
2. What is your pregame routine?
The pregame routine on days when we have just traveled are usually a little longer as we leave the hotel a half hour sooner, evaluate the ballpark, meet the GM, and unpack. After getting unpacked and my undergarments on I like to have a snack before the game and rub up baseballs. To help loosen the mood my partner and I enjoy listening to a playlists from our iPods over my portable stereo and discuss possible situations while doing a little dynamic stretching.
3. Describe your travel.
The idea of travel is new, being as I have only been in the pro-game for two years and one year was Rookie Ball, a minimal traveling league. But this year was definitely and eye opener. The idea that professional umpires only work three hours a day is a myth. They forget to consider the time required to travel to and from cities every three to four days. However, it’s also the travel that makes it exciting some days. Without baseball there is a good chance I may have never seen half the cities I have been to already, early in my career!
4. What if you don’t get along with your partner?
Luckily, I have not had an issue with any of my partners. I have been blessed so far with my assignments. Everywhere I have been, even fill-in games, I have had the opportunity to work with good people that are great umpires and provided great teaching lessons. There are of course times when you may disagree on something or how your partner handles a situation, but most of these times can be talked through. In reality, they have to be. This is your partner and maybe only friend on the road for quite a few months each year.
5. Describe your family life. Explain the difficulties and the benefits, if any, to being on the road so much.
Traveling and being away from home can be difficult, but I try to make the most of the time away. Meeting new people and catching up with lost friendships because of old friends moving away has been fun. There are tough times when you miss out on Holidays or a major event with the family, friend, or girlfriend but it provides so many other intangible benefits. Just in the past year I had the opportunity to see so many old high school and college friends that I hadn’t seen in years. And it gave excuses to my parents and girlfriend to travel a little and visit as well. Those are some of the best memories of the 2010 season.
6. What do you do in the off-season?
During the off-season I work as a personal trainer. In 2009, I started an online personal training business specifically for Sports’ Officials, OFFICIALLY FIT. This takes up a lot of my time both during the off-season and season. I really enjoy seeing good people make healthy choices to change their lives for the better and improve both their lifestyle but also their officiating careers.
7. How do you prepare for the long season?
Preparing for the season is done recovering and refreshing. The baseball season is a very long and demanding time and it takes a few months to really relax, get back in the groove of a typical day, and also reset sleeping patterns. I enjoy officiating basketball as well during the off-season, so getting away from the game of baseball for a few months helps my mind relax so I am fresh for Spring. The off-season is also a great time to catch up with friendships that get overlooked during the busy season and go visit family.
1. The first Plate meeting for Shane Livensparger to kick off the NY/Penn League at the Tri-City Valley Cats 1st home series of 2010 with respective managers. Shane Livensparger is wearing his blue wristband for the Ed Randall Bat for the Cure Charity to strike out Prostate Cancer.
2. Shane Livensparger and Carlos Torres before their 1st game in the NY/Penn League. The game was hosted by the Tri-City Valley Cats. Shane
and Carlos are wearing the blue wristbands on Father's Day 2010 for the Ed Randall Bat for the Cure Charity to strike out Prostate Cancer.
3. At a home game for the Staten Island Yankees, Shane Livensparger rings up a Staten Island batter.
4. Shane Livensparger calling a strike at the Brooklyn Cyclones 4th of July Celebration game.
