It seems like everyone has an opinion on this video, so I might as well throw mine out there too.
Apparently these parents were giving the umpire a hard time and he had warned them. Then they kept going, so he gave them another warning that if they continued he would stop the game. They did not shup up so he followed through with his warning. Good for him.
I hope the other parents and the coach of the team have a talk with those parents. I think Will Middlebrooks (former third baseman for the Red Sox) had the best take:
“I can’t stand this kind of thing. Just let the kids play. No missed call when you’re 9 is going to affect your future in baseball, but watching your parent act a fool will change what you think is correct behavior.”
He is right, this kind of thing just teaches kids that it is okay to scream at officials. This is the reason why there are umpire/referee shortages in youth sports. Who would want to do this for free or for very little money? And yeah, they were just yelling at him and acting like idiots, but how many times have we read about someone getting physical with a youth sports official (I feel like there was a story a year or two ago about a fan or coach bringing a gun, maybe?).
The worst part of the video? The end when the woman says “this guy is a firefighter who protects your life” or whatever she screams. UGHHHH. What is her insinuation here? That the fireman will not put out a fire at the umpire’s home? That firefighters deserve a better strikezone for their kids? Is there a hierarchy for this sort of thing? Does the kid of an active duty military person have the smallest zone, while EMTs or corrections officers get an expanded zone? Police and firefighters are somewhere between? How stupid does that sound? What if the umpire was in the Army reserves? Does that cancel out the firefighters earned respect?
And before anyone gets their boxers in a bunch, I am not saying these people do not deserve respect for the jobs they perform. But that respect does not carry over to all moments in life. A person does not get a free pass to be an asshole because of the service they provide the community. Again, where do we draw the line?
It is not hard to go to a kid’s competitive event and not be a total dickhead. Just go, watch your kid, clap when appropriate. Cheer them on for successes and encourage them during failures. No need to yell at officials, coaches, teachers, or whoever else is there. You do not have to fight with other parents or other kids. It is really not that hard.
