When did kids' sports become so... angry & violent?

Granted I didn't play many sports growing up, but I don't remember little league or Pop Warner games as a hate-filled angry place.  Kids' sports are supposed to build character and help kids Tihslearn valuable life lessons.  Sports are supposed to help kids realize the value of hard work, good sportsmanship, and how to channel disappointment in constructive ways.  At least they are in my vision of sports.  So you understand my dismay at recent events.  At my very own child's game, the other team's coach was instructing his players to heckle our pitcher from across the field....yes, a grown man issued a "heckle command" for an 8 year old.  A child who doesn't get paid money to pitch, is in his first season pitching, and is 8 years old. Wow.  I've also seen coaches be thrown out of games for arguing with umpires, a 10 year-old catcher banned from the game for deliberately throwing a bat at the on-deck hitter, and an all-out boxing match between a coach and an umpire in the middle of a game--complete with blood, cops, and ambulances. 

Now, comes the story out California of an umpire who DIED after being punched by a 17 year-old player. One person dead, a child facing prison, and two devastated families.  (Read more at http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/06/family-utah-soccer-referee-who-died-after-punch-from-player-holds-vigil/)

Consider this quote from the article:

"It's not the ignorance of the child, it's the poor manners of the parents," said Lopez in Spanish, who played soccer professionally. "The yells and insults from the sideline from the parents make kids more violent."

How true and how sad! I'm sure we all know a few parents who fit into this category.  

Unfortunately, incidents like this aren't isolated. Consider: 

• The New Jersey Coach of 10-12 year olds arrested for slapping the 17 year-old umpire (http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/05/03/n-j-little-league-coach-accused-of-assaulting-teen-umpire/)
• The Nebraska man who plead guilty to assaulting the referee at his son's CHURCH league basketball game (http://www.yankton.net/news/state_ap_ne/article_5f469678-7165-56e0-b4ce-3ccc11ac8c34.html)
• A 13 year-old score keeper was "flipped off" by the mother of a player (http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/07/5399579/the-decline-of-sportsmanship-likely.html)

How did we get to this point and how do we fix it???? We can start by ensuring our actions as parents reflect the type of behavior we want to see in our children. 

Football Mom Jewelry

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