In light of recent events surrounding the behavior of parents and coaches at Little League games in Arlington and its outlying areas, it is necessary to remind our parents and coaches of the importance of good behavior.
Youve all heard it before. A little league dad hollars at an umpire over a close play at first base. An overzealous coach screams for a strike call. It is cliche to point out that parents dont always behave well at their childs sporting events. But these people need to be stopped.
Its a shame that the many non-confrontational spectators and coaches put up with the poor behavior. Silence is often a passive okay to the poorly behaved. So in defense of the quiet majority, Id like to point out a couple of simple facts about summer Little League baseball to those people who take the games a bit too seriously.
1. Your child is not A-Rod. Hes not. Okay? No seriously, listen to me. Hes not A-Rod. Hes not going to be A-Rod. Hes not even going to be a professional ballplayer. If you are ever confused as to whether or not this is true, I encourage you to ask the multitude of other Little League parents out there how special their child is. Every single Little League parent since the dawn of time believes that their child is not only the best player on the team, but possibly the entire league and maybe the state. Their son not only ought to be the starting pitcher, he should also bat clean-up, possibly for the Mariners. I am not kidding. Test this theory the next time youre seated adjacent to a Little League parent at a ballgame.
2. In keeping with point one, heres a quick number crunch for you. There are 6 billion people on the planet. This means that even if your child is a one-in-a-million talent, there are sure to be about 6,000 people running around just like him. There are approximately 750 Major League Baseball players. Allow this to sink in.
3. Your children absolutely deserve your respect at their games. As do umpires and opposing players. Acceptable behavior includes driving your child to their game, sitting and clapping appropriately for your child and other players, and driving your child home from the game without critiquing his performance.
Non-acceptable behavior includes shouting instructions every fifteen seconds to your clearly bewildered 12 year old, belittling the athletic ability of opposing players, making any attempt to engage the umpire in a discussion, coaching the kids when you are not the actual coach, and/or exhibiting violent or aggressive behavior in any manner. If I had a nickel for every Little League dad that hangs on the fence near home plate and chirps helpful advice to players and umpires I would not need a day job.
For those of you who have trouble distinguishing whether or not this advice applies to you, let me give you a small lesson. If you go to the game and say anything directed at the players that is more than one word in length you have acted inappropriately. The only correct response to excellence on the playing fields is clapping or exclaiming yay!. Cheering does not consist of giving advice about a players batting stance, monitoring his performance at shortstop, or screeching often contradictory instructions to him as to whether or not to run on a fly ball.
3. There is a direct correlation between the meaninglessness of any given sporting event and the poor behavior of parents associated with it. Pause and re-read that last sentence. Stop acting like a buffoon over the size of some volunteer Little League umpires strike zone.
4. Heres the biggie, and I cannot emphasize this enough: No child in fifteen years will ever remember the score of any Little League baseball game ever played. What children will remember is the brutish, overbearing behavior of parents who are trying to live out their own personal athletic dreams through their children. No child on the playing fields deserves this treatment.
Relax, enjoy the ballpark, sit back and slurp down a soda while your kids get some fresh air. Remember, these games are about kids working hard together, exercising, and learning the value of earnest competition. Try to stay out of their way.