There has been a trend the last couple of years that has really started to bother me. 11, 12, 13 and 14 year old kids are showing no respect at all towards the umpires. Last year, I almost threw an 11 year old out of a game for arguing a strike call. ELEVEN!!!
I'm 33 years old so it has been a while since I played but when I was playing little league we played at a very high level. In all the years I played, I don't think I ever argued with an umpire. I might have shook my head on a strike call I didn't like but I NEVER looked back or said anything. The reason was because if I did, my butt would have been on the bench for the rest of the game. My coaches always told us that if it was worth arguing, they would do it for us.
Today, it's not like that. Players not only show little or no respect for officials, the coaches say nothing to them about it. I will give you a perfect example. Last year I was umpiring a 12 year old boys game, non-select. I was in the field and I had a play a second that was a bang bang play. I called the runner safe. The second baseman looked at me and yelled, "You have got to be freaking kidding me!" I told the kid to calm down and then went and spoke to the coach after the inning. I told him that if it happened again, I was going to toss him, the coaches response, "Yeah, he's competative but what are you gong to do?" Really? I'll tell you what you do, you sit the kid down and tell him to knock it off, your the coach...right?!!
Anyways, I'm sure a lot of people who aren't officials won't see this as a big deal but I believe that to us, it is. I don't mind being yelled at by the coaches, I don't mind being yelled at by the fans. That really doesn't get to me. But a kid trying to show me up, that's where I draw the line. Now, if a kid wants to ask me a question about the call, I'm fine with that.
Anyways, that's just an observation I have made the last few years. How about all of you? Have you noticed it too?
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That is horrible! My son would never do that more than once! I would hope he knows better than to act like that at all.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed some kids who are like that.. at even younger ages. It is hard to blame the kid completely when they are so young. A lot of the blame is on the parents and coaches.
Unfortunately, having a lack of respect for others seems to be becoming more of an accepted thing. In life in general, not just sports. It's just not right.
I agree. My wife is a teacher and she is seeing it in the classroom now too. Some of the stories she tells me makes me want to go smack the kids and their parents. I'm not sure when and why it changed but I never would have been able to get away with the things kids get away with today.
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