Are 'Bad Adults' to blame for referee shortages?

[silo11]

I like this.

 

A parent is out of control, you toss them. They refuse to leave, you let the coach and the other parents know they have 5 minutes to get them to go, or you're leaving, and as a result they're forfeiting.

 

A soccer league in New York has already put something like this into place. If a parent/spectator who has been asked to leave refuses. The referee can abandon the game and that team will forfeit. More leagues need to install this type of mindset.

 

Zero Tolerance Policy For Abusive Behavior, Language And Intent

[neilman1234]

I may be going off topic here but I think part of the problem with out-of-control parents is that they can't see the big picture. The youngest of my 3 boys will be a senior next year. I've been to countless baseball/basketball/soccer/football games over the last 18 years and have seen the complete "life cycle" of youth sports.

 

I think the majority of overbearing parents think their son/daughter has real potential to be something great. They invest so much time and money into their kid's future athletic career that it makes their expectations more intense. Everything becomes a way bigger deal than it should.

 

Anymore, there are boundless opportunities for kids to train year round for their selective sport(s). Back in the day, you played knothole and when the season was over, you wouldn't play organized baseball until next spring. Now, you've got summer ball, select teams, individual skills training at local establishments. It's an arms race (no pun intended). I also think that plays a part in a parent's intensity during games because they want to see their investment pay off. If Johnny strikes out on a questionable called third strike, that robbed him of an opportunity to prove his skills.

 

Seeing my boys grow up and play sports from youth to high school, I realize it's more about the journey. I was never an intense parent but perspective has allowed me to see that the journey was the most rewarding part of the experience. Years later, I don't remember how many times my son got screwed by a charge not being called or a holding penalty robbing a TD run. I remember watching my sons and all their friends grow together and become better ball players. Once parents stop thinking that Johnny or Susie is going Division I, they'll be much better for it.

[plantmanky]

I may be going off topic here but I think part of the problem with out-of-control parents is that they can't see the big picture. The youngest of my 3 boys will be a senior next year. I've been to countless baseball/basketball/soccer/football games over the last 18 years and have seen the complete "life cycle" of youth sports.

 

I think the majority of overbearing parents think their son/daughter has real potential to be something great. They invest so much time and money into their kid's future athletic career that it makes their expectations more intense. Everything becomes a way bigger deal than it should.

 

Anymore, there are boundless opportunities for kids to train year round for their selective sport(s). Back in the day, you played knothole and when the season was over, you wouldn't play organized baseball until next spring. Now, you've got summer ball, select teams, individual skills training at local establishments. It's an arms race (no pun intended). I also think that plays a part in a parent's intensity during games because they want to see their investment pay off. If Johnny strikes out on a questionable called third strike, that robbed him of an opportunity to prove his skills.

 

Seeing my boys grow up and play sports from youth to high school, I realize it's more about the journey. I was never an intense parent but perspective has allowed me to see that the journey was the most rewarding part of the experience. Years later, I don't remember how many times my son got screwed by a charge not being called or a holding penalty robbing a TD run. I remember watching my sons and all their friends grow together and become better ball players. Once parents stop thinking that Johnny or Susie is going Division I, they'll be much better for it.

 

Agreed a lot of parents think junior is their retirement plan.

[John Anthony]

I like this.

 

A parent is out of control, you toss them. They refuse to leave, you let the coach and the other parents know they have 5 minutes to get them to go, or you're leaving, and as a result they're forfeiting.

 

I felt like this was already in place or the umpires simply leave.

[Hellcats]

In theory that is great, but in practice I dont see that working.

 

Team gets kicked out because of spector, rest of teams spectors begin to riot (because thats what happens, as much as we say it doesnt/wont). You have 1 to 2 LEO, a site director/AD trying to handle that, it doesnt work, bad situation.

 

Easy...

 

Lose your season.

[ukcatfan17]

I know that in our district Elementary basketball league, the parents sign a spectator behavior form and at least one needs to attend a meeting where parent behavior is addressed. Parents have been asked to leave and not come back to games!

[plantmanky]

Easy...

 

Lose your season.

 

You have the money to fight that battle in court?

[Hellcats]

You have the money to fight that battle in court?

 

I would think a due process could be developed that would stand up in court.

[tcjkbt]

Would a court even hear a case like this involving a youth team? What are the damages to child and parent?

[barrel]

A soccer league in New York has already put something like this into place. If a parent/spectator who has been asked to leave refuses. The referee can abandon the game and that team will forfeit. More leagues need to install this type of mindset.

 

Zero Tolerance Policy For Abusive Behavior, Language And Intent

What stops someone from saying/acting like they are with one team to be asked to leave. They then refuse to leave so the team must forfeit the game. In Football Trinity might get a whole new fan base lol.

[Kentucky Windage]

So - I'm going to paint you a picture of what I experienced today.

 

I help coach (wasn't going to coach but ended up doing so because I saw a need) on a coach pitch baseball team with age groups from 5-7 years old. I've pitched this entire time up until now and will continue to do so.

 

On one particular day last week I was struggling with location on getting the ball over the plate. Each kid is allowed 5 pitches before having to hit off of the tee.

 

One of our better players gets up on his third time (mind you - I pitch better to this kid because I don't have to throw "touch" pitches like most other kids). The young man won't swing - yet most of these pitches were "meatballs". The kid has to hit off of the tee for the second time in the game.

 

So - I proceed to pick up the 5 baseballs that i pitched along the backstop. I start hearing some things from this players parent. "It's okay "player unnamed" it's not your fault that your coach can't get it over". Also one of the more distracting parts is she will yell swing and don't swing when the ball is in the air.

 

Parents like this make it very uncomfortable. I wasn't even going to help but I'm a much better pitcher than any of the other coaches and stepped in after two weeks and being asked to do so.

 

I just find it a bit egregious that I started hearing that. Like I said - my pitching location wasn't the best on this day but it wasn't terrible.

[Kentucky Windage]

I "powerfully" wanted to say something back but myself never being the one for confrontation I decided to not say anything.

 

But it's things like what happened above that will keep umpires and volunteers from coming forward. Let your kids have fun and let the coaches coach and let the umpires call the game.

[Jim Schue]

Yes.

[Wireman]

Bad adults are also to blame for loss of good youth sports coaches.

[Jackie Ed]

After being a spectator this entire baseball season after having been an assistant the past 4 years, I got to see the other side of parents. I will say for the most part the parents on our team and most others were very well behaved. Obviously there were calls here and there that could've gone either way and some parents would loudly disagree but never harped on it. I was surprised how into the game i got watching my son play but I would always side with the umpire regardless of the call right or wrong. I'd loudly say "good call blue" or something of that sort much to my wife's dismay. If parents did get to aggressive the umpires we had this season would look right at them and loudly say "Thats enough! I don't take that from the coach, I'm not taking it from you!". That'd quiet them up.

 

Last season my son was fortunate enough to make the All-Star team. There was a play that the umpire (only one ump was being used for D ball) called that went for my sons team. Needless to say the other fan base and coaches were irate, even though it's an exhibition game. Sad to see adults cussing and yelling at this college aged kid as though he blew game 7 of the World Series. I sat by for about ten seconds before I went to the back stop and told him to not back down and let them know he won't tolerate it. He was very intimidated. Finally after about 30 seconds our teams coach comes out to try and calm down the opposing coach.

 

I was so disappointed that it took our coach that long to intervene. After the game the other fans actually started walking towards the young man while he was walking to his car. I told my wife "No way they're going to do this" and I jogged up to him and walked off with him. The other fans saw this and I'm assuming realized how idiotic they were being and stopped. I told the young man to not let one game discourage him it'll get easier.

 

My son likes to say that the umpire makes a bad call and I say if they want a perfect call at every base they need to pay for more than one umpire.