This is unacceptable

[Julie's Haircut]

I don't think it's in any way excusable, but my personal theory is that adults get so invested in their kids' sports nowadays because it's all they've got. - So much is expected today in terms of kids doing all these activities and parents being there at everything that it's replaced the adults' own hobbies and social lives.

And parents like those in the video are likely compensating for their own failures by insisting their kids be the successes they never were.

 

[mom2rtk]

I don't think it's in any way excusable, but my personal theory is that adults get so invested in their kids' sports nowadays because it's all they've got. - So much is expected today in terms of kids doing all these activities and parents being there at everything that it's replaced the adults' own hobbies and social lives.

Sadly, I concur.

 

[Chocolate Cake]

Non profit community clubs are run very differently here. Five years of ball and no fundraising, begging or stands.

That seems like a dream. I am not kidding when I say our community baseball could probably make the Associated Press if investigated.

And the same type of people brawling in that video are the same type of people running our community league.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

7 year old baseball should be able to be umpired by a 13-year old.

I know all towns are different with sports, but our rec baseball program's 7-year old league basically requires not much more than someone in the middle of the diamond saying 'safe' or 'out'. Once they get to an older age, they use certified umpires.

My older son has refereed youth soccer for many years - unfortunately, he's seen his share of ugliness, but has always done a good job of keeping his head and diffusing situations the best he could.

The town or state probably does make a difference. I've experienced youth sports in three states. All of them had adults officiating. When I paid for my child to play, I wouldn't have been happy with another child officiating. I wouldn't have behaved ugly, but I would have worked with the league to make sure an adult was officiating the games.

Regardless of the town/county rules, after my experience officiating games, I would never put a child in that position. I suppose this is an agree to disagree situation based on personal experience.

They were 7 year old kids playing community ball.

That wouldn't make a difference to me.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

The problem starts when the cursing parents are not booted on the spot and/or banned for the season. Youth sports programs need to stay on top of the little things or they will get completely out of hand.

As for the 13 year old ref, I agree and disagree. I think it can be very beneficial for the participants to see an official of that age, and I think it can really help that young person grow, mature and see their sport (that the probably love) from another view. It usually makes them a better player. With that said there should have been an adult supervising and ready to deal with the adult jerks. That was unfair to expect the 13 year old to deal with an adult. That 13 year old is probably the only one willing to volunteer in the first place, because some of these types of parents have driven away officials and the programs that don't ban foul mouthed adults and let it happen too.

I agree it should have been stopped immediately. An adult umpire would have had a much better chance of making that happen.

I'm surprised that anyone thinks a loud mouthed, cursing jerk would show a 13 yr. old any respect. The behavior was totally unacceptable, but it doesn't surprise me. It does surprise me that anyone would put a kid in that position. Then again, kids officiating games isn't something I'm used to. I'm also not accustomed to having volunteer officiating for a sport that parents are paying for. I suppose this is another of the DIS "regional" things.

 

[luvsJack]

Don’t have any young ones playing sports at the moment. Back when our sons played baseball, there were things said about blatant bad calls (a couple that did affect the outcome of the game and were very obviously just bad) but at 7? Most of the parents with kids that age spent the game visiting with each other with an occasional “good hit” or “ way to go guys!” I don’t remember there even being a “come on blue” until they were 12.

This? Is just ridiculous. How many of those parents would seriously want their kids acting like that?

I do not think there should be 13 year old umps or at least not without an adult there with them. In a perfect world, a 13 year old could officiate a 7 year old game but this old world is far from perfect and parents are far from knowing how to conduct themselves.

Ds’s stepson played in the same league ds did a few years ago. The rules then were that no parent could question a call. If they did, they were asked to leave the game. I think that was a bit excessive but then I never witnessed behavior like this either.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Having been a player when I was young, my kids all played sports and my grandkids have all been on teams I have seen the downward spiral.

When I was young most parents didn't really attend games unless they were needed to drive. My mom didn't even attend my high school games and we lived 3 short blocks from my high school.

My son quit playing when he was about 12 or 13 when an opposing team's coach told his pitcher to aim a fastball at my son's head - literally. Thankfully the umpire was an older gentleman and the coach was tossed and sanctioned by the league but the damage was done. My son couldn't understand why an ADULT wanted him hurt like that. The fun was gone and he refused to play again.

Several years ago the league my grandson played in shut down for 2 weeks because of the behavior of adults at games. The previous year a parent grabbed a baseball bat and went after another parent on the opposing team after the game. I also heard a gun may have been involved but I never knew that for sure. His reasoning, the other team were sore losers because they lost the championship game. The year after that incident the league was shut down because parents were screaming obscenities at the other team and the umpire and it started to get physical. Sadly both of these incidents involved the organization my grandson played for. We were fined and the coaches were suspended for 1 year. Things did get a little better after that.

My final year coaching I was treated with disrespect before every game. The opposing coaches thought I was going to be like the other coach from my organization who was all sorts of not DIS friendly names. I didn't win one game that season but I had the respect of my team and my parents because we lost with dignity and our heads held high. Not easy to do when you have a team that had no pitching and you were losing by 10 runs in the 2nd inning every game. I actually had a parent curse out her daughter and then me because we were so bad, I gave up what I loved because I couldn't handle the stress any longer.

I get that you can be excited or upset at games but these are children who learn by our example. Not very good role models or sportsmanship here.

I've lived in areas where children's sports are very competitive, but this is over the top. My years of coaching were a lot of fun. I'm sorry your experience wasn't the same. I'd like to think this isn't the norm, even in areas that are uber competitive.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Disgusting. But our local baseball association is no better. It attracts awful people with good kids.

And don't get me started on the constant fundraising. The minute you ask where the money is going, you are an outcast. Our association did not release any data. It was all a secret. So $100 to join. Then you had to work the stand (and I was in shock at how much money that stand brought in). Then work days to keep the field up and running. Then various fundraisers, including your child standing outside of WalMart with a can, begging for money (Refuse to allow your child to beg? Then your child sits on the bench.)

They never, ever said how much money was raised, or where it went to.

At least, you could buy playing time. My DS played on one team where the coach only played his son's friends & the kids in their subdivision. I didn't particularly like the coach & didn't want to move, so DS didn't play for that team again. Anyone who doesn't think kid's sports can be a dirty business hasn't experienced it in many areas.

 

[Hrhpd]

I’d be mortified. This crap will follow them around forever.

Does anyone still have sense these days?

Apparently a couple of the parents were city employees. Their jobs are now on the line.

 

[Hrhpd]

I've lived in areas where children's sports are very competitive, but this is over the top. My years of coaching were a lot of fun. I'm sorry your experience wasn't the same. I'd like to think this isn't the norm, even in areas that are uber competitive.

This is over the top. That is why it is making the news.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

This is over the top. That is why it is making the news.

I commented that tazdev's situation was over the top, because it sounds like that type of behavior was a common occurrence where she lived. I've heard of a lot of fights at games, but I've never heard of a league having to suspend play for an extended amount of time, because the parents were so out of control.

In case anyone misunderstands what I'm saying, I think this situation was inexcusable. The people involved should face repercussions. I just don't think this behavior is all that surprising, based on my sports experience, which is one of the reasons I'm against kids officiating games.

 

[texaslover]

My son played football, baseball, and basketball growing up. He's 21 now. I've seen coaches fight to the point of breaking a nose and having an ambulance called and parents screaming obscenities. That was all before he reached middle school. However, the kids were mostly good sports and embarrassed by their parents. Amazingly when he played middle school football and basketball and then high school basketball it became much better. Yes, parents made nasty comments in the stands and sometimes the kids in the crowd were a little obnoxious but nothing like when he was "little". And now I see it escalating with kids imitating their parents. 8 year olds telling coaches and refs to "f off" and flipping the bird and throwing ball and bats and acting a fool. I would think people would see the progression and how things are going downhill but I'm afraid that's not how humanity works.

 

[Disney Doll]

Disgraceful display and every single one of those so called adults should be ashamed of themselves.