Youth baseball game descends into all-out brawl with parents throwing haymakers and others cowering

[demmiblue]

Youth baseball game descends into all-out brawl with parents throwing haymakers and others cowering for cover after disagreeing with 13-year-old umpire.

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A baseball game between a group of 7-year-old kids degenerated into an all-out brawl with parents throwing haymakers, others cowering for cover and a woman even jumping on someone's back.

The reason for the brawl: a parent didn't like the calls being made by a 13-year-old umpire.

The fight began at Westgate Elementary School in Lakewood, Colorado, a suburb southwest of Denver, on Saturday at about noon as 15 to 20 adults got into a violent tussle, according to Lakewood police.

The brawl was still ongoing as Lakewood police arrived at the scene.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/parents-brawl-youth-baseball-game-disagreeing-13-year/story?id=63802898&cid=social_twitter_abcn

Idiots.

[rurallib]

1. Truly surprised they didn't have guns.

This country is getting scary.

Spent some time umping when my kids were playing 30 years ago and what I heard from some of the parents was sickening then.

[sdfernando]

2. Well how else are you going to teach your children good Sportsmanship!?!?!? /nt

[Initech]

3. Why does this remind me of the ending of Kingsman? Were Valentine SIM cards involved?

[Journeyman]

4. My brother coached little league for years. At the start of each season . . .

At the start of each season he introduced himself to the parents, explained that he was an attorney, and cautioned them all that any misbehavior by them would result in criminal charges if warranted and certainly a restraining order if required. He would not be intimidated, coerced, or bribed into playing or not playing anyone's child. Every child would have an opportunity to prove themselves on the practice field and would be played in the games as the coach saw fit.

And finally, he laid out that while the players from both teams were to be respected at all times, he would not tolerate anyone badgering or belittling the umpires. We're honored they've taken the time to help us have a great game, he'd say. You can disagree with a call. You can respectfully express disagreement. But only the coach and his staff can contest the calls. We'll see it and we'll be as incensed as you. But only we will make the decision to confront the umpires, as only we can appeal calls to the governing board.

In the quarter century or so he coached ball, he rarely had troubles with parents or players and he never had to go beyond quiet discussions with anyone. He attributed it largely to luck. As he was fond of saying, there are plenty of crazy parents at all these games.

[gratuitous]

7. Maybe your brother was lucky

But he definitely improved his chances of being lucky by laying things out for the parents in a no-nonsense manner right from the beginning. As the intro to Bull Durham said, "It's a long season and you gotta trust it."

[sarisataka]

5. Back when I was ref

For youth soccer I would often have parents ask why it was so hard to find good officials for matches.

I would explain to them that officials need to learn as well as their players. We would get young people to sign up every year as novice refs but very few came back for a second year. Regardless of the level of players, parents expected every ref to be perfect from the moment they pick up the whistle. I told them if they wanted good officials they need to be tolerant of mistakes made by those just learning.

[Tipperary]

6. What lovely people.

Wow.