The view from the top is better in an Umpire Chair

September 14th, 2011

If a picture is worth a thousand words, the view from tennis umpire chairs is worth several blogs. Whenever I watch a tennis match on television, I often wonder how the chair umpire maintains his cool as he watches the game with anticipation. I have not given much thought to tennis court equipment but the tennis umpire chairs have always grabbed my attention. Just last week, after a local tennis match ended, I climbed onto the elevated chair to get a sense of what it is like to be up that high. I felt so powerful, as if I were the queen of the world. The view of the entire park and local neighborhood was simply breathtaking. I got a completely different perspective of my immediate surroundings. As I glanced over at the parking lot, the multiple cars resembled match boxes and the multitude of trees looked like broccoli.
Surprisingly, for a short time, I felt a bit like a commander preparing to give orders. More importantly, it gave me the opportunity to see how tennis umpires experience a game. To precisely see and judge the play-by-play action, it is definitely necessary for the umpires to be in an elevated position.
Tennis umpire chairs are not too comfortable – I needed a pillow to support my back but the attached umbrella was nice because it conveniently blocked the sunlight. Some chairs even come with a writing platform that can easily hold a laptop. These umpire chairs are also used during volleyball matches and other ball sports.

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