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Amid increasing abuse, officials flee youth sports

On a play at second base, Moore called the runner safe. A parent watching the game thought the runner was out. She began screaming profanities, according to Moore, “accused me of cheating these kids.”

Moore ordered the woman to leave, which she only agreed to after the ump threatened to forfeit the game — but not before vowing to settle things later.

Moore didn’t think any more of it, having endured similar threats during her 10 years as a youth umpire. But as soon as the game ended, the enraged mother was waiting.

“I was maybe three steps off the field and she was there,” Moore recalled. “And that’s when she punched me.”

The woman was arrested and charged with simple assault.

I was talking about this subject with one of the umps in my softball league - she refuses to do youth softball anymore - too dangerous and abusive.

And then the parents complain on a facebook page I follow (friends run club that has multiple girls teams of all age groups) about no umps/games cancelled.

dbackjon wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 12:56 pm I was talking about this subject with one of the umps in my softball league - she refuses to do youth softball anymore - too dangerous and abusive.

And then the parents complain on a facebook page I follow (friends run club that has multiple girls teams of all age groups) about no umps/games cancelled.

Parents are assholes.

dbackjon wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 12:56 pm I was talking about this subject with one of the umps in my softball league - she refuses to do youth softball anymore - too dangerous and abusive.

And then the parents complain on a facebook page I follow (friends run club that has multiple girls teams of all age groups) about no umps/games cancelled.

Those parents can step up to the plate and become umps.

Too many parents put too much emphasis on sports and their priorities are out of whack as a result. Youth and high school sports should be about being a good team player and physical activity not about the D3 offer little Johnny gets after high school.

AZGrizFan wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 3:27 pm

dbackjon wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 12:56 pm I was talking about this subject with one of the umps in my softball league - she refuses to do youth softball anymore - too dangerous and abusive.

And then the parents complain on a facebook page I follow (friends run club that has multiple girls teams of all age groups) about no umps/games cancelled.

Parents are assholes.

Fvcking breeders ...

UNI88 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 4:19 pm

AZGrizFan wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 3:27 pm

Parents are assholes.

Fvcking breeders ...

DAmned crotch fruit.

UNI88 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 4:18 pm

dbackjon wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 12:56 pm I was talking about this subject with one of the umps in my softball league - she refuses to do youth softball anymore - too dangerous and abusive.

And then the parents complain on a facebook page I follow (friends run club that has multiple girls teams of all age groups) about no umps/games cancelled.

Those parents can step up to the plate and become umps.

Too many parents put too much emphasis on sports and their priorities are out of whack as a result. Youth and high school sports should be about being a good team player and physical activity not about the D3 offer little Johnny gets after high school.

Agreed. Can't wait for my kid to get in on the action. Yay.

That might explain why the national HS federation is forever spamming me with pleas to join the ranks of the officials. I'm a coach, not an official....

UNI88 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 4:18 pm

dbackjon wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 12:56 pm I was talking about this subject with one of the umps in my softball league - she refuses to do youth softball anymore - too dangerous and abusive.

And then the parents complain on a facebook page I follow (friends run club that has multiple girls teams of all age groups) about no umps/games cancelled.

Those parents can step up to the plate and become umps.

Too many parents put too much emphasis on sports and their priorities are out of whack as a result. Youth and high school sports should be about being a good team player and physical activity not about the D3 offer little Johnny gets after high school.

I actually ref basketball now. You hear complaints from the coaches and the parents all the time, but so far hasn't been terrible. What's changed over the years are kids now going straight to profanity, and directly at adults. When I played, you would cuss out loud about something, but you wouldn't go face to face with an official and say something. Nowadays some kids don't even bat an eye about that. Certainly coming from the parents and the upbringing. Youth sports today are all about winning and being told the kid is a future scholarship player. There will always be a travel team for any player willing to fork over the money. Nevermind that most college sports aren't headcount sports and for those sports that aren't the scholarships get sliced and diced so much that you wonder if you end up spending more money in travel and AAU ranks along the way (including flights and hotel stays) than you would if you just had little Johnny hit the books and get some academic scholarship money. Even sadder seeing kids base their college choices on where they can play sports, even if the place they choose isn't that great academically. Is playing 4 more years of sport really worth not setting yourself up properly for the next 40 years of your working life?

Tom may be able to relate to this - but dance moms are savages. They'll scream at judges and their kids. Emotional abuse all around.