Little league

violence is a problem all over the country. I am not talking about violence

between little boys and little girls. Rather I am talking about violence

between the adults who attend these games.

There are numerous

recorded incidents of violence at little league games around the country

where coaches, parents, and others have spit on, hit, shot, and stabbed

others over issues surrounding the game.

One incident

ten years ago left a man so severely injured that he has just this year

been able to return to work and twice in recent years these episodes have

ended in murder.

Just two weeks

ago an incident occurred in our own county where one person cut another

with a knife at a little league athletic event.

Violence is

always troubling, but it is exceptionally frustrating when it happens

over something so trivial as an official's decision in a little league

game. Not only that, but these episodes happen in front impressionable

youngsters on the athletic field and in the stands.

Why do we get

so emotional over little league ballgames? I propose several reasons.

One reason

this happens is that these events involve our children and we are very

protective of them. If we perceive that our children are frustrated, angry,

or being mistreated by a coach, official, another player, or even a spectator,

we feel the need to defend them.

Often, however,

the child perceives a parent's intervention, not as a defense, but as

an embarrassing intrusion. More often than not, they would prefer we keep

our mouths closed.

Second, we

the game far too seriously. We get wrapped up in the excitement of the

game and expect it to be error and injury free, but that is an unrealistic

hope.

Part of the

fallibility of athletics is learning to deal with the normal disappointments

and errors of the game. Umpires make mistakes, fans say thoughtless things,

and coaches will make decisions we do not like.

Little league

athletics exist to teach sportsmanship and the rules of the game, as well

as to provide recreation and social interaction for children. The purpose

of little league, contrary to the opinion of some parents, is not to provide

a proving ground for future Larry Birds or Sammy Sosas.

Life is full

of disappointments, 'unfair' decisions, and frustrations. Little league

provides a place for children to learn how to cope with this normal part

of life. Many times, though, parents and coaches miss the opportunity

to teach a life skill instead demonstrating poor coping skills through

their anger, catcalls, and aggression.

Third, some

adults have not learned to control their anger. Not only do they act out

on the athletic field, they also drive aggressively, loose their tempers

at work and at home, and generally have poor coping skills.

The little

league field is just another forum for them to demonstrate their inability

to control their own behavior. For these individuals, anger management

or personal counseling may help to bring back for all of us the joy of

the game that has somehow been lost.

Finally, our

culture has sanctioned poor personal conduct. In 1996, Baltimore Oriole

Roberto Alomar spit in an umpire's face. His behavior, while condemned

in the media, received only a slap on the wrist and, perhaps worse, the

fans cheered his return to the field where they should have protested

the decision to allow him to play.

Numerous examples

of atrocious behavior in various sports could be listed, but the point

is, we accept outrageous behavior from professionals who should know better.

The days of

athletic gentility days when Bill Russell dominated the basketball court,

Arthur Ashe led on the tennis court, and Walter Payton inspired us on

the gridiron are gone. Replacing these heroes and gentlemen are arrogant

individualists like Dennis Rodman and Roberto Alomar. It is to these misfits

that our children look for inspiration.

Research has

demonstrated that parents' unreasonable behavior will directly contribute

to the decision of over half of the millions of children who play little

league athletics to discontinue organized sports by age 13. Let's get

it together and be better leaders.