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The more things change…

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While clashing on a call is as old as sports, O’Connor and others who work in youth sports say they’ve seen a recent deterioration of the treatment of officials, who are often teens or young adults themselves. Abuse by parents and coaches alike has led in part to a shortage of referees and umpires in youth and high school leagues across the country. The shortage spans all sports and competitive levels, local league representatives say, and has organizers scrambling to staff games.

“Everything a referee or umpire does is in judgment,” said O’Connor, 30, who owns Right Call Athletics, which staffs officials for various sports leagues throughout the Chicago area. “High school and college kids don’t want to stand there and take the abuse.” […]

Experts say the increasingly aggressive nature of parents represents a general shift in youth sports culture. Once centered around play and fun, sports leagues now are highly competitive and can cost parents thousands of dollars a season, monopolizing weekends spent traveling to games.

* The Daily Herald’s John Patterson in 2005…

In his experience as a suburban youth sports commissioner and coach, John Lawson has seen some horrendous behavior.

Fans going after game officials. Police called to break up fights between players’ moms. “Just last year we had an instance where the high school players were threatening the umpire,” said Lawson.

In fact, Lawson says he often sees worse behavior at youth sporting events than in his other line of work, which is telling given that for 19 years he’s been a police officer in Roselle.

Hoping to thwart the growing nastiness at sporting events, Lawson, a sergeant with the Roselle police force, worked with local lawmakers last year to offer added legal protection for sports coaches and officials. The resulting law hit the books Jan. 1 and elevates any attack on an official or coach to an aggravated assault punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine, the same penalties as those prescribed for assaulting a teacher or police officer.

* Tribune in 1999…

After 43 years as a baseball umpire, Bill Olsen has enough patience now to just let the nasty taunts from fans, coaches and parents sail by like a pop fly into the summer sky.

But Olsen, 60, worries that a deteriorating respect for officials on the field is driving away younger umpires from the job and even hardened veterans who are sick of the trash talking. […]

In an effort to stem the ever-dwindling number of umpires, the IHSA has even begun recruiting high school students to study, pass a test and become certified officials. Struckhoff said the number of IHSA-registered baseball umpires is down this year to 2,200 from 2,314 a decade ago. But the departure of even one umpire leaves 50 to 60 games uncovered for the season, she said.

* I came up with this post idea because this week’s Tribune story reminded me of a 1999 Pate Philip kerfuffle. From a May 12, 1999 Tribune letter…

Illinois Senate President James “Pate” Philip would have us all taking swings at the refs who donate their time and talents so our kids can play ball (News, May . “They make more mistakes and everybody gets so mad at them, it isn’t even funny,” says Philip.

Who’s getting mad at them, senator? It’s not the kids on the field. Rather it’s the coaches and the parents on the sidelines. The kids usually congregate in embarrassed clusters when the adults start screaming at the refs, umpires or each other.

“I just say maybe they deserve a pop once in a while,” continues Philip. Sure, why shouldn’t that student, father or mother who’s refereeing or umpiring be popped? Think of the lessons our kids can learn about life and how to settle disputes.

With all of the soul-searching and legislative initiatives in the wake of the Columbine High School tragedy, wouldn’t passage of the state bill stiffening penalties for assaulting a sports official be a step toward ensuring our children’s safety and well-being?

More here.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 3:04 pm

Comments

Nothing better than a good Pate story. Hated the guy when he blocked bills I was working but he was a walking quote machine.

Comment by Give Me A Break Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 3:23 pm
I have coached 7-8 grade football for a long time. We had to put up signs at home games to tell fans it is just a game with volunteer coaches. I have had to go tell some parents to stop dropping f-bombs at the refs. About every other year there is an incident where the police have to get involved. The NFL is not there, no one cares about an hour later, TV cameras are not there, and the players just want to play. It is amazing how worked up some people get over 12 year olds supposedly having fun.

Comment by zatoichi Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 3:57 pm
This treatment extends to high school coaches. It is insane.

Comment by JS Mill Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 4:06 pm
Would I be repeating myself if I told everyone I think we should eliminate school sponsored sports in K-12? There is no possible way this state will ever turn it’s financial ship around until this happens. None.

Comment by BlueDogDem Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 4:10 pm
Philip’s remarks was made at a time when my 14-year-old and several friends were youth sport referees. The loathing I felt for Philip then for that remark has not dissipated.

Comment by My New Handle Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 4:10 pm
Honestly, if it wasn’t for the parents, I would ump youth baseball all summer. The kids were never a problem.

Comment by FmrRef Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 4:12 pm
==Would I be repeating myself if I told everyone I think we should eliminate school sponsored sports in K-12?==

Yes you would. And it’s just as dumb as the last several times you’ve said it.

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 4:12 pm
The problem boils down to the governing organizations. An ejection in IHSA results in a one-game suspension, but the organization rarely fines or suspends offenders for longer periods of time. When it comes to off-season travel sports, the organizations are so decentralized that an abuser can go from one weekend to the next without any consequences for their actions.

Comment by Flip357 Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 4:12 pm
Let the your little snowflakes play and you sit down and shut up. Exactly what caliber of official were you expecting to work a little league game in Podunk, USA?

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 4:12 pm
I used to be an umpire but quit because of the behavior of both the fans/parents and the coaches. I was followed to my car by a parent after a softball game one time and another individual had to step in to prevent the parent from assaulting me. The final game I umpired was at a religous school. After the game the coach came on the field and called me every name in the book. That was it for me.

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 4:26 pm
You cannot overestimate the emotional unbalance and flat-out looniness of some adults when it comes to youth sports.

When my sons played travel baseball (10 to high school), I’d say half of the parents truly thought their sons were sure-thing future MLB stars. And it made them crazy.

Out of a few dozen kids over the years, I know of one who made Class A ball. A handful played in college.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 4:37 pm
Don’t underestimate the money thing, lots of kids sports are now expensive as heck if you do it above the park district level.

So if you are spending several grand on Timmie’s baseball you expect good refs and you expect results.

Lots of type A people in that world.

Comment by OneMan Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 4:39 pm
B-I-L is a paid umpire on weekends; done it for over a decade; before that he coached for another decade … so he knows the game pretty well. He’s also good sized and can be intimidating. Parents still mouth off at him …

Comment by RNUG Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 4:42 pm
I found myself melting down behind my 7 year old as he was goalie. I yelled, hopped up and down, vursed a blue streak and then saw his tearful face. Then I saw the coach trotting up to me and he began talking to me like I was a lunatic.

I now sit far away from the field and try not to watch.

I never thought I could be that dad, but I discovered I was.

So I understand.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 5:24 pm
Demo. Sorry if my opinion seems dumb to you. Having spent time in both Europe and Asia where school sports are rare, I am amazed at how well rounded and highly educated their youth are. I am not surprised by your comment though, it’s apparent you are a ‘quitter ‘ when things get a little tough.

Comment by BlueDogDem Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 5:30 pm
I am an amateur softball umpire. Work lots of high school in the spring and travel ball in the summer. In my 60’s and I’m probably the average age of an official. Can’t get young people to do it for all the abuse they have to take.

Go to a rec league where skills are the least and everyone should be playing for fun and to just learn the game including the 16yr old kid umpiring in his/her first summer job and listen to the crap yelled at them. Lack of officials is a real problem in amateur sports.

Comment by Leave a Light on George Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 5:32 pm
I was a sports official for over 25 years. I enjoyed the games, the kids tried hard, but the parents, and coaches could be hard to take. You have to understand that every guy who ever watched a basketball game thinks he is Bobby Knight. And every summer coach thinks he is Csey Stingel. As an official you try to close your ears, and call the game. I was in demand because everyone knew I was just there to call the games, and never played favorites.

Comment by Retired Educator Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 5:34 pm
–I think we should eliminate school sponsored sports in K-12? There is no possible way this state will ever turn it’s financial ship around until this happens. None.–

Really? What’s the percentage of the state budget that goes to “K-12″ sports (I’m pretty sure there aren’t any sports teams until middle school)? Do you have any basis for that categorical assertion, whatsoever?

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 5:54 pm
Supports my theory that Donald Trump (and his ilk) are simply a reflection of what we have become. Ugh.I was a young Little League ump 40 years ago and almost everyone kept it classy.

Comment by Molly Maguire Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 6:04 pm
Word. As a matter of fact yes.google is your buddy. ABOUT $1 BILLION A YEAR. Admittedly there is no summation site, but oldBlue pretty good at math.

Wouldn’t that $1 BILLION be a nice down payment on pension debt? Or better yet, how about some property tax relief.

We just can’t keep doing the same old things and expect things to change.

Just for kicks, you ought to see the pension debt just on high school athletic directors. I am not advocating anyone lose their pension. But we gotta do things differently. If we can’t eliminate them. Pay to play. For those impoverished, fundraisers, donations. I don’t care. Ad’s making $120k a year are luxury items we cannot afford right now.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 6:05 pm
–Word. As a matter of fact yes.google is your buddy. ABOUT $1 BILLION A YEAR. Admittedly there is no summation site, but oldBlue pretty good at math. –

What are you talking about, “no summation site?” Show your work, you’re so good at the math.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 6:18 pm
I’ve certainly seen this trend firsthand as a volunteer rec league soccer coach. You’d think it was the Premier League, Bundesliga, or World Cup the way some parents act. It’s sadly a reflection of trends in society as a whole. The caliber of political discourse at all levels of government is Exhibit A reflecting this trend.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, May 4, 18 @ 8:34 am
Parents should be limited to designated gathering areas in the parks where games happen- away from the games. Coaches would still be inclined to be jerks, but they wouldn’t have a built-in support crew.

Comment by In 630 Friday, May 4, 18 @ 9:15 am