Parent’s Complaining At Kid’s Baseball Games Forced To Be Umpires
For years we’ve all seen videos of parents acting in ridiculous ways at kid’s athletic events. Some parents that scream at coaches and umpires and some have even gotten physical. A town in New Jersey has found a creative way to deal with parents that act inappropriately at youth baseball games and it’s a great idea!
According to Good Morning America, in Deptford Township, there is a new rule; if a parent or spectator fights with an umpire, they have to volunteer to officiate for at least three future games. Little League officials came up with the rule to try and get parents to behave. If a parent acts inappropriately, they aren’t allowed to go back to the baseball complex until they complete three umpire assignments. Seems fair!
A lot of referees and umpires are volunteers, and putting up with screaming parents and shouting matches isn’t what they signed up for. Making calls that everyone agrees with is rare in any sport. Having parents experience the job for themselves will let them see that it’s not that easy. Because of yelling parents, some of the referees and umpires have resigned.
Parents won’t be making calls solo. There will be a certified umpire that on the field too to make sure all calls are correct. I think this is a smart idea. Now parents will think before getting out of control.
My dad was my soccer coach when I was a kid and he was a hot head. He was red carded more than once. But he made sure that we knew how to be good sports. When parents act crazy, kids think that behavior is ok. And it’s not. Learning to be a good sport and learning that you can’t always win is an important life lesson. Kudos to the Deptford Township for coming up with a creative solution. Good call!
One New Jersey town is introducing an ingenious new rule to crack down on misbehavior after parents were caught on camera berating and yelling at referees and umpires at youth games.https://t.co/rKLwoTQPxL
— Good Morning America (@GMA) April 25, 2023
