Editorial: Let's model civility, respect in youth sports behavior

For an editorial on civility in youth sports, it's important to note at the outset that the preponderance of parents and fans who attend youth sporting events behave appropriately and well. But considering the emotional attachment that naturally accompanies an event starring a member of their own family - and a child at that - even they need reminders.

And in spite of their dominant numbers, there's also the problem of the not-rare-enough outlier - the coach who can't control his or her temper, the fan too quick with a jeer or an insult whenever circumstances seem to go against his daughter or son or their team.

Sadly, put all the emotion together and you get a headline like that in the Daily Herald on Sunday - "Youth leagues' costs rise as bad coach, fan behavior contributes to umpire shortage." Should we adults see behind that headline the wagging fingers of our sons and daughters, sternly scolding us to be ashamed? Of course, we should.

It's an uncomfortable indictment on our guardianship that we've allowed our behavior and that of our fellow fans to sink to the point that it has resulted in a shortage of young baseball and softball umpires willing or able to put up with it, forcing organizations to turn to regional companies to find umpires. On top of the simple shame of this development, consider the added repercussion in financial cost - it can be twice as expensive to get a youth umpire now, according to the report by our Jamie Sotonoff.

Does this really have to be? Are we adults really too immature to peaceably watch our kids have fun in an activity that should be teaching them positive values like sportsmanship, teamwork and respect for the rules?

Kevin O'Donnell, youth athletic coordinator for Mount Prospect Park District's youth baseball leagues, described the problem succinctly.

"These are kids 16 and 17 years old who are just trying to make some money," he said. "Then you have these older gentlemen or women who really scream at them and make them feel bad about themselves. It deters them and terrifies them."

All sports parents have seen it - and no doubt we've all also felt the surging frustration of the moment when a call didn't go our child's way. It's only natural. But our function at the event is simply to watch and cheer, and our bigger job is to model for our kids the behaviors of respect and restraint that are key to mature enjoyment of participating in sports or in any activity. We can teach them that there is something bigger and more important than succumbing to a judgmental urge that, let's face it, is rooted in our partisan hopes and wants.

Spring is upon us, and throughout the suburbs, that means baseball diamonds and soccer fields will be teeming with impressionable young boys and girls whose first objective, let's also remember, is to have fun - but who are learning in the process key values about perseverance, determination, respect and more. Let's recommit ourselves to ensuring that with our own civility from the stands and the sidelines, we teach them well.