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Parents brawl at 7 year olds baseball game. (Link fixed) (1 Viewer)

If you read the lede carefully, one really should be glad they're not throwing baseballs at each other.

 
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Sad turn of events.  Not that it would have made a difference (most likely) when tough guys want to bow up, but is it common to have a 13 yr old as the umpire in little league games?  

 
Great way of kicking off Father’s Day weekend with a display of parenting skills likely to remembered, possibly in traumatizing fashion, for the rest of your child’s life

 
As bad as I feel for the kids playing, my heart really goes out to the 13 year old umpire.  That kid was put in an impossible and unfair spot.  If there is an official that young in any sport, there has to be an adult supervisor in the immediate vicinity, IMO.

 
As bad as I feel for the kids playing, my heart really goes out to the 13 year old umpire.  That kid was put in an impossible and unfair spot.  If there is an official that young in any sport, there has to be an adult supervisor in the immediate vicinity, IMO.
Seems the supervising adults were the problem 

 
Here's the bigger problem:

The contest between teams of 7-year-olds from Lakewood and Bear Creek took a violent turn about 11:50 a.m. when some parents apparently became angry at the game's 13-year-old umpire.

The young umpire had given warnings to both sets of parents for using foul language, the ump's family told Denver NBC affiliate KUSA. But then someone in the stands complained there were no ejections and that ignited fisticuffs.

The umpire "feels guilty he could not gain control of the situation and guilty that a ... coach is now in trouble for protecting him," a family member of the umpire wrote in a text message to KUSA.
Parents can't even act civil understanding a 13 year old kid is trying to work a game and make some extra money. How do you expect a 13 ear old to throw parents out—that kid would need some serious stones—so instead you start a brawl? That will really help this kid grow as an ump. This kid is out there actually trying to do something rather then sit at home playing video games. 

Its no surprise that we can't get umps to do your kid's games anymore. And before you say "well get better umps" or "a 13 year old should not be doing games" realize that if you want a better quality ump, you need to pay for it. 7 year old recreation league sports ARE where young officials become better officials. They generally do not pay well because it keeps the registration cost down. I get close to $100 a game for the higher levels of ice hockey, 8U hockey refs get about $20 and are usually at 6am. 

with out officials, you kids won't be playing. People need to tone it down. 

 
I am guessing the big guy that got seriously injured (and cheap-shotted by the guy they are all looking for) was the coach that came to the kid’s defense. 

 
Here's the bigger problem:

Parents can't even act civil understanding a 13 year old kid is trying to work a game and make some extra money. How do you expect a 13 ear old to throw parents out—that kid would need some serious stones—so instead you start a brawl? That will really help this kid grow as an ump. This kid is out there actually trying to do something rather then sit at home playing video games. 

Its no surprise that we can't get umps to do your kid's games anymore. And before you say "well get better umps" or "a 13 year old should not be doing games" realize that if you want a better quality ump, you need to pay for it. 7 year old recreation league sports ARE where young officials become better officials. They generally do not pay well because it keeps the registration cost down. I get close to $100 a game for the higher levels of ice hockey, 8U hockey refs get about $20 and are usually at 6am. 

with out officials, you kids won't be playing. People need to tone it down. 
It is very impressive the 13 yr old even gave a warning.  Most have a hard time explaining where the pitch missed to help the players.

I don't know of too my 7 yr old games that even have umpires.  Most of them are not pitching to each other as that is either still coach pitch or machine pitch with the coaches still making any necessary call.  Part of this is too much of a hurry to make it real baseball.  The kids including the umpire are still just learning the game.

There should be enough of these parents that are no longer allowed to even watch games for the rest of this year.

Crazy

 
This is one reason I refuse to do any officiating that isn't run by a school.  With state rules in place and people who make a living managing kids and parents running them, things are much better.  Rec leagues are like the Wild West at times and sometimes the people in charge are the main problem.

 
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Sad turn of events.  Not that it would have made a difference (most likely) when tough guys want to bow up, but is it common to have a 13 yr old as the umpire in little league games?  
Yes. I umped as a teenager. Not at 13, but in summers during college (18-19).

 
Sad turn of events.  Not that it would have made a difference (most likely) when tough guys want to bow up, but is it common to have a 13 yr old as the umpire in little league games?  
I called little kids basketball at age 16-17.  I think 13 is too young.  He likely has a parent either that is in charge or also officiates.

 
Not that it would have made a difference (most likely) when tough guys want to bow up, but is it common to have a 13 yr old as the umpire in little league games?  
For T-ball, I think it's fairly common, above that I think not so much.

Both of my sons (now age 19 and 16) have been umping Little League games since they were 13, but up until age 18, as the field ump with an adult behind the plate. A few times my older son (now a sanctioned adult ump) got pressed into duty to be the sole ump (due to the adult not showing up) when he was around 14, but that was more the exception than the rule. 

 
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Sad turn of events.  Not that it would have made a difference (most likely) when tough guys want to bow up, but is it common to have a 13 yr old as the umpire in little league games?  
I think it is common.  The rule in our park growing up was you could ump games 2 levels below your age.  So at 13 I called games for the 9-10 year old league or lower.  At 15 I could ump the 11-12 yo league or lower. 

I didn't last long for me though.  I blew an infield fly call once and felt awful about it.   :bag:

 
Its a thankless job as I personally know from refereeing high school soccer.   Some parents are just nuts when it comes to watching their kids play sports.

 
It is very impressive the 13 yr old even gave a warning.  Most have a hard time explaining where the pitch missed to help the players.

I don't know of too my 7 yr old games that even have umpires.  Most of them are not pitching to each other as that is either still coach pitch or machine pitch with the coaches still making any necessary call.  Part of this is too much of a hurry to make it real baseball.  The kids including the umpire are still just learning the game.

There should be enough of these parents that are no longer allowed to even watch games for the rest of their lives.

Crazy
Fixed

 
As bad as I feel for the kids playing, my heart really goes out to the 13 year old umpire.  That kid was put in an impossible and unfair spot.  If there is an official that young in any sport, there has to be an adult supervisor in the immediate vicinity, IMO.
Didn't we have a discussion here a while ago where one poster was boasting about abusing a young baseball ref to the point of tears?  I seem to recall our poster "Pick" was quite proud of himself for his ability to abuse young referees in the youth games he was coaching.

My son is 14 and was reffing a U10 soccer game a couple weeks ago.  My wife was there and started texting me about one of the coaches abusing our son.  I was at my office, and nearly drove to the game just to put my foot up the guy's ###.  Very happy I was not in attendance that day. My son handled it much better than I would have, but he did (privately) admit to my wife that he was a bit rattled by the guy at times.

 
Didn't we have a discussion here a while ago where one poster was boasting about abusing a young baseball ref to the point of tears?  I seem to recall our poster "Pick" was quite proud of himself for his ability to abuse young referees in the youth games he was coaching.

My son is 14 and was reffing a U10 soccer game a couple weeks ago.  My wife was there and started texting me about one of the coaches abusing our son.  I was at my office, and nearly drove to the game just to put my foot up the guy's ###.  Very happy I was not in attendance that day. My son handled it much better than I would have, but he did (privately) admit to my wife that he was a bit rattled by the guy at times.
Had a long time official tell me that soccer was the worst when it comes to crazy fans and coaches.  I've only done basketball, football and a touch of baseball.

 
Had a long time official tell me that soccer was the worst when it comes to crazy fans and coaches.  I've only done basketball, football and a touch of baseball.
It probably varies by location.  Around here (upper midwest), most people say hockey is the worst when it comes to aggressive parents.  The main problem with soccer is in the rec leagues (as opposed to the more serious club leagues), where you have volunteer dads coaching, and parents on the sideline who in many cases have never played and often don't understand the rules themselves, yet strangely feel entitled to opinionate on the referee's decisions.  Regarding my son's game, he said the coach didn't understand the rules, that his decisions were not close calls, just normal stuff like obvious fouls and offside calls. 

 
Every hockey season (ok the last 4 years of my kids playing travel) I've seen at least one set of parents get thrown out of a rink for swearing and yelling at each other.   I always think how embarrassing that has to be.  I've never seen an actual parent fist fight yet, they have happened in our town though.   Usually Canadian teams parents are the craziest for some reason.

 
I coached youth basketball, baseball and soccer all the way from 7 years olds starting out, to 17 years old travel/AAU.  I've seen some weird stuff from parents.

My opinion has always been that parents should not be allowed to open their mouths at an event.  Not to say even one word.  And if they do they should be removed with 1 warning on the books.  The second time they wouldn't attend the rest of the year.  And coaches can't say anything to the refs.  At all.  Same deal.  When I started coaching basketball I would berate refs pretty good.  Second year, I stopped saying anything to them during the game.  Amazingly I got more good calls without opening my mouth.

We had that rule in youth soccer.  It worked great.  Parents couldn't cheer.  They could sit there and watch.  That's all.

Basketball was bad.  But moreso on the referees from the parents.  The parents are so close to the action.  Often in bleachers just a couple of feet from the game.  And on small courts it turns into a football game at times.

But Baseball dads are the worst.  The worst.  They know EVERYTHING.  This kid can't hit.  This kid can't field.  Why isn't my kid pitcher, catcher.  The umpire sucks.  Blah.  Blah.  And they are more than happy to open their fat mouths.

I've heard hockey is bad but don't coach it.

To me it's a simple rule.  Parents can't open their mouths at all.  And umpires/refs should have a very short string on what they let coaches say.

 
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Didn't we have a discussion here a while ago where one poster was boasting about abusing a young baseball ref to the point of tears?  I seem to recall our poster "Pick" was quite proud of himself for his ability to abuse young referees in the youth games he was coaching.

My son is 14 and was reffing a U10 soccer game a couple weeks ago.  My wife was there and started texting me about one of the coaches abusing our son.  I was at my office, and nearly drove to the game just to put my foot up the guy's ###.  Very happy I was not in attendance that day. My son handled it much better than I would have, but he did (privately) admit to my wife that he was a bit rattled by the guy at times.
That sucks.  Sorry he went through that.  I know mileage will vary depending on where we all live and what sort of bylaws are in place by the league that governs the sport, but generally speaking, ref abuse like this is a serious offense and can lead to sanctions by the league's judiciary committee.  What should have happened here is that the referee report filed by your son should have been flagged by somebody in the league and followed up with a phone call to the coach - at the VERY least.  Bylaws will include a 'code of conduct' that speaks very plainly to ref abuse by parents and/or coaches and what sort of penalties can be handed down for violations. USSF takes ref abuse very seriously. 

 
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That sucks.  Sorry he went through that.  I know mileage will vary depending on where we all live and what sort of bylaws are in place by the league that governs the sport, but generally speaking, ref abuse like this is a serious offense and can lead to sanctions by the league's judiciary committee.  What should have happened here is that the referee report filed by your son should have been flagged by somebody in the league and followed up with a phone call to the coach - at the VERY least.  Bylaws will include a 'code of conduct' that speaks very plainly to ref abuse by parents and/or coaches and what sort of penalties can be handed down for violations. USSF takes ref abuse very seriously. 
The fall-out from this incident was somewhat odd.  The league president reached out to us, but said he only wanted to hear from my son, not my wife (I agree completely with this approach).  My son was upset mainly because he didn't get paid the full amount he should have (again, due to the ###hole coach). He was paid the A/R fee, but should have been paid the full center ref fee.  That was his focus, and that was corrected. However, he told me he did not fully report what the coach said to him and downplayed the abuse in his report. His reason was that he thought it would make him look bad, that he did not do his job properly. He said that he should have ejected the coach - that is what the training taught him, and he felt it was his failure because he did not eject the coach.  He loves reffing soccer and the easy money it brings in (according to him) and didn't want to jeopardize that.

 
I think it is common.  The rule in our park growing up was you could ump games 2 levels below your age.  So at 13 I called games for the 9-10 year old league or lower.  At 15 I could ump the 11-12 yo league or lower. 

I didn't last long for me though.  I blew an infield fly call once and felt awful about it.   :bag:
I ref'd soccer games starting around age 12-13.  Continued until age 17.   Always ref'd games for players who were 3-5 years younger than me.  Most coaches and parents were cool, but there were a few back then who acted like major a-holes.

Worst was a coaching pair who were type A, living vicariously through their team, former rugby players.  Notorious for being a pain in the butt.   I was either 12 or 13, and my ref'ing partner was a lazy POS.  He botched a minor call and these guys lit into me.  Full out rage.  I calmly explained that he was in position to make the call, that i understood their frustration, etc.  Walked away and let them cool down.   I made a tough but correct offsides call awhile later and they both came unhinged (even though their team was up 2-0 or 3-0).   I didn't even hesitate.  Gave them both yellow cards and said "if you say another word, you're both gone and the game is forfeited."   Never had another problem with them again.   We shook hands after their team won, they said "good job."   Saw them another 4-5 times, never had an issue.

Anyway, parents and coaches have always been a-holes.   But the percentage behaving that way keeps increasing.

 
The fall-out from this incident was somewhat odd.  The league president reached out to us, but said he only wanted to hear from my son, not my wife (I agree completely with this approach).  My son was upset mainly because he didn't get paid the full amount he should have (again, due to the ###hole coach). He was paid the A/R fee, but should have been paid the full center ref fee.  That was his focus, and that was corrected. However, he told me he did not fully report what the coach said to him and downplayed the abuse in his report. His reason was that he thought it would make him look bad, that he did not do his job properly. He said that he should have ejected the coach - that is what the training taught him, and he felt it was his failure because he did not eject the coach.  He loves reffing soccer and the easy money it brings in (according to him) and didn't want to jeopardize that.
It's a good gig; my oldest refs soccer and gets paid well for it.  But there are some awful adults that make the job difficult at times.  I was in charge of our league's judicial branch for 2 years and that was quite enough for me.  It's astonishing how juvenile grown-ups can act at youth sports games.  

 
The fall-out from this incident was somewhat odd.  The league president reached out to us, but said he only wanted to hear from my son, not my wife (I agree completely with this approach).  My son was upset mainly because he didn't get paid the full amount he should have (again, due to the ###hole coach). He was paid the A/R fee, but should have been paid the full center ref fee.  That was his focus, and that was corrected. However, he told me he did not fully report what the coach said to him and downplayed the abuse in his report. His reason was that he thought it would make him look bad, that he did not do his job properly. He said that he should have ejected the coach - that is what the training taught him, and he felt it was his failure because he did not eject the coach.  He loves reffing soccer and the easy money it brings in (according to him) and didn't want to jeopardize that.
Hold up... At that age group in our area, Refs get $44 with AR's getting $32.  Do you guys split the ref fees between the teams or did the coach pay the whole thing?  This ####### withheld $6 or $12 from him? 

 
Hold up... At that age group in our area, Refs get $44 with AR's getting $32.  Do you guys split the ref fees between the teams or did the coach pay the whole thing?  This ####### withheld $6 or $12 from him? 
I didn't want to derail the thread with the minutia, but what happened is that my son was scheduled to be AR and was paid the AR fee by the coaches pre-game (each team pays half the ref fee at the game.)  However, the kid scheduled to be center ref was a no-show.  That's pretty rare, but it happens.  My son stepped in to be center ref, and worked the game with only one AR.  The coaches obviously should have paid him the full center ref fee.  Its possible they just forgot - who knows?  The league prez made it right though, so we're all good on that account.

 
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