The latest Kirkland Little League incident is incredibly troubling (read story, page 1). About a month ago, at the end of a local Little League baseball game a mother of a player was charged with allegedly assaulting a boy from the opposing team after he taunted and bullied her son.
Then, last week, witnesses say the same mother showed up at a game wearing supportive t-shirts along with other parents (some are wives of KALL Board members) then proceeded to stand behind home plate while the boy whom she assaulted pitched.
Of course, this was disruptive, disturbing, and downright childish. What was the purpose of these parent’s actions? They are trying to show support for the Mom who was charged/arrested. However, what they managed to do was ruin a day at the ballpark for many 12 year-olds who were driven to tears. Well done parents –way to take the higher road! Shame on all of you! As one parent said in an e-mail to me, “It is the saddest day in Kirkland baseball history. It’s just plain sick.”
Yes, there are two sides to the story. The boy(s) should not have taunted/bullied another boy. The coaches should have been on top of this right away. The parents should also. There is no place in youth sports for that type of behavior and poor sportsmanship. It does not teach our kids respect for each other or the game.
On the other side, the mother accused was trying to protect her son. Evidently, she was outraged by the boy’s comments, which caused her to step over the line. However, she should have never touched someone else’s child. It is appalling at the reported language used, and the absolute disrespect for adults displayed by the boy(s).
Who is to blame in all of this? What should we learn from this horrendous incident?
It starts with the coaches and the League, but ultimately it is the responsibility of the parents. Starting day one, before a ball is thrown or hit, a precedent needs to be set on what type of behavior is expected from not only the kids, but from the parents as well. Frankly, there should be a zero tolerance rule, especially for those parents who act inappropriately. In addition, there should be little to no tolerance for kids who act similarly.
As a former collegiate athlete and a current youth soccer coach and parent, I certainly understand there is a fine balance between the competitive spirit and good sportsmanship. Each year, I talk to the parents about appropriate behavior at games. My rule is that supportive comments are welcome, but absolutely no negative comments are allowed. I also speak with the kids I coach. I emphasize sportsmanship, but at the same time encourage all to be competitive. It comes down to respect.
We’ve seen this happen time and time again so it would seem that we’d learn and not repeat our mistakes. Kirkland is a great community. Let’s not taint that image with incidents like this. It is an absolute shame that this happened. It could have been avoided. Aren’t we supposed to be setting a good example for our kids? Aren’t parents supposed to not only encourage good sportsmanship, but fair play and respect? Kids just want to succeed and we, as parents, should be teaching/coaching them to win with class and to lose with dignity.
A parent summarized it best: “Baseball is for the kids to get outside and have fun. Not for squabbling parents.”
