Strike 3 … Out! Investigating Pre-Game Moods, Performance, and Mental Health of Softball Umpires

Mood research in sports typically focuses on athletes, with sports officials being largely overlooked. In the current study, mood profiling was used to determine if softball umpires reported an identifiable and consistent mood profile and if mood was predictive of umpiring performance and/or reflective of positive mental health. Eleven male and five female participants aged 25-68 years (M = 48.5 ± 15.5 years) each completed the Brunel Mood Scale on multiple occasions prior to officiating games at the 2020 U18 National Softball Championships. A total of 185 mood profiles were analysed. Performance was assessed using Softball Australia's official umpire assessment tool. Overall, participants reported an iceberg mood profile, which tends to be associated with positive mental health and good performance. Umpiring performances (pass/fail) were correctly classified in 75.0% of cases from tension, depression, and confusion scores (p = 0.003). Participant sex explained 25.7% of the variance in mood scores (p < 0.001); age, 25.8% of the variance (p < 0.001); position on the diamond, 10.5% of the variance (p = 0.003); and accreditation level, 14.3% of the variance (p < 0.001). Australian softball umpires typically reported mood profiles associated with positive mental health, and none reported profiles associated with risk of mental ill-health.