Well most of you may not know my age but I am old enought to call my self a parent.

My vent is regarding issues with other parents and sports.

My son is playing little league baseball, T-ball division, yes this is the age group that runs to the pitcher and sometimes after the ball while standing on base and even after hitting the ball.

This is the age division where it should all be about fun. As a matter of fact we do not even keep track of a score.

But what I dislike is the fact that parents in this division are so aggressive. they are constatntly yelling and get mad when kids dont get teh out or hit the ball.

I have to say that im just like the next person , I like to win too, but c'mon these are some little kids that are just learning the game.

I just feel sorry for some of these kids, personally I wasn't treated this way and I dont expect to treat my son this way.

So if you are one of the older members out there or if you are not and have experienced this or something similar post it up.

Well, don't get me started on Sports parents... I have been a Referee since I was thirteen years old... I have a few stories, but the one I would like to share with you is a actually a bit funny...

Yes, you are correct. Sports should be about the kids having fun. I mean, nobody shows up to lose, but the fun aspect of Kid's Sport is often spoilt by the parents, certainly.

Anyway, I was refereeing a game and a kid I gave a 2 minute penalty to, well he swore at me after I issued the penalty.
That isn't good, so I gave him another Unsportsman-like penalty, and he swore once more, so I ejected him from the game.
Not a big deal, he was pretty good about leaving the playing field and going to the dressing room... Game ends.
I leave the playing surface into the 'tunnel' toward the change room when I hear a voice yell, "hey, Mr Ref..." to which I turned around to see this, well, *large* woman walking down the tunnel toward me... "Was it you that threw my son out?"... "yes", I replied... "what did he do?" she asked ... "He swore at me... twice..."

"Good", she said... "Do it again next time..." and she turned and walked away....

Now that is truly amazing! I thought sure you were going to tell us you got smacked in the head by a mean old fat lady......
It is nice to know that some parents realize their rug rats aren't little angels.

I thought one day I was going to have a knock down drag out with some stupid woman over her bratty little kid. I had a low display pen at the swap meet, and this little girl reached over and pick up one of my pups by the neck and was choking it. I firmly told her to put that puppy down, didn't really yell at her but did say it quite firmly. Brat droped the pup and stood there looking at me like I was an ogre, which of course I didn't care, then she tottled off and caught up with her mother who was by then a few booths away. Then the little brat started bawling, so the mother came back and gave me a cussing for yelling at her little darling. I proceded to tell her if she'd spend as much time teaching her damn brat how to properly handle a pup as she spent cussing me I wouldn't have to yell at the stupid kid.

So, believe me, parental stupidity is not limited to sporting events!

Hey,
just dropped by to say I totally agree with you, garbage, I guess some parents are just too obsessed with having their kids be sports stars or whatever... which probably won't happen anyway and... yeah, it's about fun. And awesome story, jlhaslip.

that is pretty funny, about the woman and her kid.

But Over all man that sucks especially for you as a ref. I mean that woman could have been the kids father and could have tried something stupid. and for one im not going to sit there and let parent even try to approach me after a game. hell if i think they come to close i might have to just claim self defense.

but also in Texas I know they have strict laws against people when it comes to assault against a ref or some sore of volunteer and sports.

There have been way too many situations where people jump over fences and beat up the ref or umpires, also a few years back a highschool coach was even shot by a parent at a game.

C'mon, how crazy is that. And all this over a kids game.

Im not sure how the laws are inother states or countries but it should not be easy time for sure.

Some people get totally crazy over sports I guess, like, not the players, but the fans, like sometimes people like go after and try to assault the refs (I saw this a while ago), but anything like that going on in a little league game is just ridiculous. Give me a break.

ive never been there when this has happened but from what ive seen on tv I would have to say that fotbol soccer fans have got to be the worst, they are some of the scariest ive seen.