SPECTRUM 2007-2008

The referee, Ronald Bell, 57, was treated at a hospital for a concussion and released after the attack that Friday night. Peter J. Dukovich, 47, was charged with simple assault, assault on a sports official and disorderly conduct. His wife, RaeLynn, who claimed the ref was making bad calls, was cited for disorderly conduct. After Bell asked security to escort the woman out of the gym, “her husband came down onto the court, picked up the official, threw him on the ground with his back striking first and then his head hit the floor,” West Deer Township police Chief Jon Lape said. Officials say the rivalry between suburban Deer Lakes and Hampton high schools prompted administrators to allow only parents and grandparents to attend the game. “We have parents who are supposed to be role models but instead we have problems occurring with parents fighting,” Lape noted (”Parent Body-Slams Ref At High School Basketball Game”).

The story above is only one example of what is becoming an all too common scenario at youth sporting events. Parental rage in youth sports has become a very serious problem in recent years, and incident reports are continuing to rise. The overwhelming desire to win, parents living vicariously through their children, and unrealistic expectations of game officials have all contributed to this dramatic up rise in spectator violence.
Youth sports have gone through a variety of changes in recent years. One of the biggest changes has been in the number of sports available to our youth. There was a time when basketball or hockey was the only wintertime sport available to young athletes. Today, however, young people can choose from basketball, hockey, Junior Olympic volleyball, swimming, karate, wrestling, dance, and a variety of others. We have also seen a dramatic increase in the number of young athletes participating each year. According to a report in American Medical News, “Approximately five million kids participated in organized sports in the 1970’s, but it has increased to over 40 million kids today” (Hewitt). This large increase in participation has resulted in both positive and negative consequences for children and parents.

Along with the increase in the number of children participating, another, quite recent change has been the age at which parents are starting their children in organized sports. According to Dr. Karen L. Murphy, an Associate Psychology Professor at Texas A&M University, parents are no longer content to wait until their children are eight years old (the traditional age to begin organized sports). Unlike previous years, “moms and dads are enrolling their children in structured programs at the age of three and four and are pushing the kids into a practice regimen that’s a sure-fire path to early burnout” (Norman). In Western Pennsylvania, the popularity of football for even the youngest grade school players is on the rise. The Greater 19 League fields 1,900 kids on 94 teams in nine communities. “The league tends to focus on teaching fundamentals of the game, as feeder programs for the high school,” says Todd Scanlon, president of the West Allegheny Youth Association. With 42 players and 54 cheerleaders in its Under-8 League, West Allegheny added “junior varsity” games during the week for players who do not get much action in the Saturday morning games (Meyer). But that means, with practices, some players have football five days a week. This is the “sure-fire path to early burnout” that Murphy referrers to. Tired minds and tired bodies, of both parents and children, can lead to behavior that has undesirable consequences both on and off the playing field.

In addition to more available choices and an increase in the number of athletes participating, there are other elements that have contributed to the disturbing trend of violence at youth sporting events. Some sports such as football, wrestling and hockey are, quite simply, violent by nature. In an interview with Sporting News, A’Don Allen, sports director for ABC News Channel 36, in Elmira, New York, said that in hockey it is the fighting that keeps fans coming back to games (Allen). “The entire arena erupts with cheering when there are fights,” said Allen, adding, “Even if their team is losing, the fans still get excited when they see two players pummeling each other” (Allen). This type of fan endorsement only encourages this type of behavior in other areas of the sporting world, including youth sports.

Adding to the promotion of “acceptable” violence, many parents have started showering the kind of attention and treats on youth players that used to be reserved for star high school athletes (Conte). It is a well known, but little talked about, fact that athletes who excel in their sport will receive special treatment both on and off of the court. Whether it’s the seventh-grade basketball superstar who is caught drinking on Friday night with friends but receives no consequence, or a college football “phenom” who just received a full-ride scholarship and can’t pass the ACT test, the disturbing truth is that athletes who can deliver on the field are much more likely to receive special treatment and little or no consequence for poor behavior.

America has always been a competitive society, and people have long been driven by quests for money and fame. Parents who become too emotionally involved with their children tend to lose proper perspective when they begin to see their young athlete as an investment (Lustberg). Instead of regarding sports as a potentially fun or healthy activity for their children, some parents view athletics as a means of achieving fame, glory or material rewards. In many instances, the goal can be a college scholarship or professional contract. But even if a child appears to be a gifted athlete, the odds are remote. According to a 2003 report issued by the Youth Sports Research Council, in the two high-profile sports of men’s basketball and football, for every 10,000 high school student athletes, three will become NBA professionals, and nine will play in the NFL (Heinzmann). With respect to the nine-year-old hometown hero, the odds of a professional contract are even longer considering that more than 40 million school-age children participate in recreational youth sports throughout the United States (Heinzmann).

A related element, which contributes to a parent’s emotional involvement in his/her child’s athletic career, is a process sport psychologists call identification — the intense bond between parent and offspring (Lustberg). However, parents who live vicariously through their children are guilty of over-identification. They fail to see the importance and value of allowing the child to experience sport on his/her own terms, for his/her own sake. Moreover, the parent’s self worth is linked to the child’s athletic success (Conte).

No matter what the reason is behind the behavior, the consequences are the same. The first and most damaging consequence is to the children. The youth participating in sports are paying a huge price for their parents’ out-of-control actions. There are innumerable cases reported throughout the country every month – reports of games turning tragic at the hands of enraged parents. “Children generally become frightened by their parent’s rage,” says Dr. Richard S. Lustberg, a licensed psychologist in Long Island N.Y. “In addition, depending on the nature of the child, they can also be embarrassed by their parent’s behavior” (Lustberg). Another concern that Dr. Lustberg shares is that these children will grow to model these behaviors in their adult lives. When parents become overly invested in their children, the children become confused as to why and for whom they are doing the activity (Lustberg). “It’s sad to watch my friend beat herself up because of her father [who makes negative comments at games],” says Kerri Doherty, 17, a basketball, soccer, and field hockey player. “It shouldn’t be getting that serious. It is supposed to be for fun” (Lehrer).

When it comes to consequences, the men and women who make the game happen are quitting at alarming rates. Many referees and umpires are making the difficult decision to leave the game because of the verbal abuse and potential physical violence that they are forced to endure on the playing field. During a 2003 girl’s softball game in Illinois, an irate father headbutted softball umpire Tim Smith in a confrontation following the game. The mother had earlier been ejected for berating the umpire (”Recent Violent Behavior Incidents”). Referee magazine reported that in Virginia, a “soccer mom” slapped and scratched the face of the game’s 15-year-old volunteer referee following a soccer game involving 9-year-olds (Simon 13). As a sports official myself, working three sports from Kindergarten to adult, I can attest to the stresses put upon us. I have found that in order to continue working the games I love so much, I have had to develop a “thick skin.” It is also becoming increasingly difficult to recruit new officials simply because they [they potential officials] don’t want to deal with the parents. The parents’ expectations of officials are, at times, unrealistic. There is a misguided belief that a referee or umpire should never miss a call and that somehow they [the parents] have a better view from the stands of that close play at second base than the umpire who is standing 15 feet away from it. Sports officials – many of who are volunteers – should not be worrying about personal safety while refereeing a game. The National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) receives more than 100 reports annually that involve physical contact between coaches, players, fans and officials (”Recent Violent Behavior Incidents”). The nearly 18,000 member organization is not the “clearinghouse for bad behavior,” says NASO President Barry Mano, but it is the belief by NASO that the reports it receives is only the “tip of the iceberg” (”Recent Violent Behavior Incidents”). For their $79 annual dues, members now get two insurance policies. One of them is a $3 million liability policy in the event they are sued for something that occurs on the field. The other policy, which the association began offering in 1997, provides medical insurance in the event they are physically harmed. Legal consultation is also covered (”Recent Violent Behavior Incidents”). Until there is a change in parent behavior and attitude toward the officials, the number of qualified referees and umpires will continue to fall and the game will continue to suffer.

So, why do some parents behave so poorly at their child’s sporting event? Quite often it’s because no one told them they couldn’t. Fights, brawls and beatings at youth sporting events can really take the enjoyment out of sports. Sports are supposed to be a healthy way to have fun with friends – not a place to watch parents embarrass themselves. Many sports leagues in North America now make parents take courses or sign a “code of conduct” on how to behave properly during their kids’ games. Proper behavior includes not yelling at or taunting game officials, coaches, parents or players. More and more communities are making it mandatory for the parents to attend the courses. If the parents refuse to attend, their children are not allowed to participate in the program (Meyer). In a recent survey done by Kids World, parents were asked if their child’s league mandates any parent training programs. Of the 166 responses, 55.4% said “yes” (Lehrer). One community youth football director from New Castle, PA reports that “The mandatory classes and no-tolerance policy yielded results. In recent seasons there was an average of 10 to 15 incidents of parental sports rage. Last season there were only one or two incidents” (Meyer). And the mandatory classes didn’t keep parents from enrolling their children in the league. Last year [2006], the league had more than 1,300 children (Meyer).

The National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) also believes that a push for parent accountability is crucial in curbing violence at youth sports events. NAYS has developed a program called “Parents Association for Youth Sports” (PAYS). PAYS is a program for parents that educates and motivates youth league parents to make the sports experience safe and meaningful (”Parents Association for Youth Sports (PAYS)”). One of the most appealing aspects of the program is its emphasis on good sportsmanship, positive reinforcement and keeping sports in its proper perspective. It’s essentially a training program for parents. The parents are required to attend a 30-minute clinic where they view a training video, meet other parents, participate in discussions and sign the Parents’ Code of Ethics pledge. Positive slogan buttons are distributed to parents to wear at the games. This is intended to remind other parents to also demonstrate good sportsmanship. In Rolling Meadows Park District, a suburb of Chicago, Ill., the rule for behavior at sporting events is very clear. “We told the parents the goal for running the PAYS program was that we want to keep out of the police blotter,” says Brian Meyer, the facilities division manager for the Rolling Meadows Park District. “We want everyone to have a positive experience and not open the newspaper and see their name in it … because that is ridiculous” (Meyer). Currently, more than 450 communities across the nation have implemented the PAYS program, including more than 30,000 parents who have been through the training. The program helps to educate parents in the rules of the game, which has proven to be a great help in Rolling Meadows (Meyer). “I’ve been a referee, and there are always parents yelling ‘That’s a travel!’ and those types of things, and that kind of drives you nuts,” Meyer says. “So we educated the parents with a little clinic on commonly-misunderstood basketball calls. As long as the expectations for behavior in the stands is understood from the start, the experience can prove to be a very rich and positive one for everyone involved, especially for the children. After all, isn’t that what it’s all about?” (Meyer).

The continuing growth in sports programs and the number of athletes participating in North America is a positive trend. However, the emphasis placed on winning gets out of control when overzealous parents become aggressive in their quest for being number one. Whether the underlying reason for such behavior is a shift in our cultural acceptance of violence or the distant dream of a Division I collage scholarship, the end result is the same. As role models, many parents are setting bad examples for their children and, as a result, many officials will simply continue to retire early from the game. Children deserve to have a fun, rewarding, and safe experience in youth sport. With the introduction and continuation of programs such as PAYS, we can all get back to the basic premise of good sportsmanship: It’s not who wins or loses – but how you play the game.

Works Cited

Allen, A’Don. Interview with Les Miles. Sporting News May 2006: 22-23.

 

Conte, Andrew. “Youth Football Participants Rewarded Much Like Their High School Heroes.” Pittsburgh News Review 26 Oct. 2006. 10 Nov. 2007 <http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_476518.html>.

 

Heinzmann, Ed.m., Gregg S. Parental Violence in Youth Sports: Facts, Myths, and Videotape. Rutgers University. New Brunswick: Youth Sports Research Council, 2003. 13 Dec. 2007 <http://youthsports.rutgers.edu/resources/general-interest/
parental-violence-in-youth-sports-facts-myths-and-videotape>.

 

Hewitt, Phd, Tim E. “Playing with Pain: How Doctors Can Spot Red Flags with Youngsters and Athletics.” American Medical News. 2 Feb. 2004. Director of the Sports Medicine Biodynamics Center At Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. 15 Nov. 2007 <http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/02/02/hlsa0202.htm>.

 

Lehrer, Jim. “Sports Rage.” News Hour Extra. 20 July 2000. 2 Nov. 2007 <http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec00/sports_rage.html>.

 

Lustberg, Dr. Richard. “The Hypocrisy of Youth Sport.” The Psychology of Sports. 2 Sept. 2004. Licensed Psychologist. 15 Nov. 2007 <http://www.psychologyofsports.com/>.

 

Meyer, Facilities Division Mananger for the Rolling Meadows Park District, PA, Brian. Interview with Gwen Morrison. Parent Rage in Youth Sports Giving the Game Back to Our Children. July 2006. 10 Nov. 2007 <http://www.psychologyofsports.com/guest/iparenting.htm>.

 

Norman, Charles. “Forty Million Children Get Involved in Organized Sports Each Year–One Third of Them Quit the Following Year.” PR Webrelease Newswire. 02 Dec. 2002. 30 Nov. 2007 <http://www.prweb.com/releases/2003/1/prweb55320.php>.

 

“Parents Association for Youth Sports (PAYS).” National Alliance for Youth Sports. 14 Nov. 2007 <http://www.nays.org/>.

 

“Parent Body-Slams Ref At High School Basketball Game.” CNN. 10 Feb. 2007. Associated Press. 12 Dec. 2007 <www.cnn.com>.

 

“Recent Violent Behavior Incidents.” National Association of Sports Officials (NASO). Fall 2007. 10 Nov. 2007 <http://www.naso.org/>.

 

Simon, Dave, comp. “The Wire.” Referee Dec. 2007: 13.