OT: Abusive Parents/Coaches and the Umpire Shortage in Little League
Article relates some high-level statistics on umpires leaving the youth sports business at least in part because of abusive behavior from parents/coaches.
Since 2017, the number of baseball and softball umpires in the Babe Ruth youth baseball and softball league has been on the decline — with 6,229 in 2017 falling to 4,995 in 2022, according to the National Umpire Association. Between 2018 and 2022, youth sports lost nearly 20,000 umpires at the high school level, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.
Hard to say what proportion is due just to lack of civility at games, but let's agree bad behavior isn't helping any. Some leagues stop games, suspend parents, etc., but the old theme of adults ruining children's activities may have also dovetailed with the much-discussed lunacy all over the country that spiked during Covid (plane incidents, fast food restaurants, Target, government state houses).
“The kids are the victim of their parents’ actions. The kids don’t like it. They’re totally embarrassed,” said John Dugan, president of Ramsey Baseball and Softball Association in Ramsey, New Jersey.
Dugan says he’s never had a physical altercation between an umpire and a parent at one of his games — but situations have gotten heated. He’s had to step in between a parent and an umpire and has suspended parents up to several games to the entire season for bad behavior.
So, two questions:
1. What behavior from parents/coaches are you seeing these days at youth sports in your area and at least in your experience has it been trending downhill?
2. If you were an organizer/official of a youth sports league, what threshold for bad behavior do you set before suspensions of parents, coaches, or entire teams start getting doled out?
My son competed in water polo JOs up through college and from day one was impressed by the authority water polo refs have and how well behavior modification works when rules are consistently enforced ( anyone on deck or in the pool that complains gets penalized).
Travel soccer, hockey and baseball refs don't have that kind of authority... maybe they should.
I am a current varsity softball coach in the state of Michigan. I am also coaching three other youth teams 14u rec, 10u rec and 9u travel. The umpire shortage is real and its effecting all levels of play in Michigan. Rescheduling games at the high school level is all but impossible less then 10 days out as you will not find umpires. For the most part things go ok but there are always some bad characters. I had one umpire go back to the screen mid inning and say to a parent that I don't have to be here if I'm not here you can't play. If you want me to leave keep doing what your doing.
One thing I think needs to be looked at is increase pay and one umpire standing behind the mound in both baseball and softball. That will get some flack as traditionalist will hate it but really the only tough call from there is a foul ball down either line and you do the best you can. MHSAA is already adopting some of this. I think it allows older umpires especially baseball wise to stay in the game longer. Our 9u travel this past weekend was umpired entirely behind the mound and I was pleasantly surprised how good it went. Something is going to have to change. It drives me crazy that you continuously here the MHSA complaining about lack of umpires and then you go to register and it costs money to become an umpire. The recruitment and incentives have to be better or we are heading in a terrible direction that could get really out of control.
As far as consequences I would start with whole team consequences. It will only take a time or two for 11 little Suzies or Johnnies forfeiting game time before they take care of the issues themselves. I am in no way a punish everyone for one persons actions but to really curve the issue I think this works best.
I will step off my soap box now....
Your suggestion to level team consequences has merit. Like you, I understand the concern about punishing everyone for one person's actions, but look at it this way: When a defensive lineman jumps offside, the entire team get punished. The silent majority will, as you put it, "take care of the issues themselves" when one person starts costing them games.
Also, thanks for coaching high school softball in Michigan. My daughter is enjoying her senior year of high school softball in Michigan and has been blessed to have played under some excellent travel coaches and high school coaches -- all of whom have been outstanding people, as well.
I coach youth soccer and can confirm that the parents are ruining what is supposed to be a fun activity that teaches kids how to work together to accomplish a goal. The majority of the parents are fine, but given so many youth sports rely on volunteers you will occasionally run into the parent who should have no involvement with youth sports.
My worst experience was having an opposing substitute coach wanting to fight me after a game. I notified the commissioner and that parent was banned from participating in games for the rest of the season.
I always set expectations for parents at the start of the season and ask them to understand that refs are volunteers and to not expect great officiating. The goal should always be for the kids to have fun and build their love of the game, to develop over the course of the season, and to enjoy being part of the team. When parents act like raging assholes, that can kill any interest the kid has in the sport.
To their credit, US Soccer does a good job with their training materials in explaining why so many kids quit sports and provide guidance on what kids are looking for when playing sports. It would be nice if some of that material was required reading by parents, but I don't have very high expectations as far as changing certain people's behavior.
The same situation exists in youth soccer.
As a former little league umpire and parent of 3 kids in travel soccer and one soccer referee, I've seen a lot, including a parent physically detaining my co-umpire after a game. Here are my thoughts: (1) I don't think it's a matter of setting a threshold for bad behavior. Coaches and spectators get one warning for verbal abuse. After that the referee/umpire can and should kick them out. They don't leave, the game is terminated. Of course any extreme misbehavior, e.g. stopping the game, racist comments, threatening comments, etc. is immediate expulsion without warning; (2) The league must punish bad behavior. If a coach or parent is kicked out, the team should be fined, it should forfeit points if there are standings and a second incident ends the season for the team. (3) The league and head referee, must side with the referees. No referee decision to kick out a coach or spectator should be overturned. A referee's decision to kick out a coach/spectator must not be considered to reflect negatively on the ref/umpire. (4) All referees must take a zero tolerance approach. There are some typically older or more experienced referees that will tolerate abuse and "manage it" as a matter of pride. They shouldn't. It sets a bad precedent and suggests that younger refs/umpires should do the same. Any referee/umpire tolerating abuse is not doing his or her job.