Teens beating up refs

[CuseFaninVT]

My son was playing tee ball and a parent was arguing with the ref. My kid drops his bat, walks to the pitchers mound, and tells the parents that the point of youth sports is to learn and foster good sportsmanship. That the specific skills of the game are secondary to the important life lessons gained along the way. And that sometimes he can’t tell which ones are the grown ups and which are the kids. Then everyone strod up and applauded. A single tear streaked down Joe Girards bbq sauce stained face.

This is what a Lenten sacrifice can bring all of us.

 

[690West]

 

[gmoney44]

We need a one strike you’re out policy with parents and spectators at athletic events. If you act a fool you’re gone for good. This is why no one wants to coach or ref anymore.

 

[Fat tire 13]

In NYC punishments are outsized for assaulting taxi drivers, MTA workers, police, etc.

I wonder if a similar policy would help here. Who knows, parents are crazy.

 

[All4SU]

I think the point of this thread, was regarding kids. There is no question parents can be a terrible influence in youth sports. That has always been the case. Is it worse? Probably so. But kids are definitely behaving worse.

 

[Cheriehoop]

I think the point of this thread, was regarding kids. There is no question parents can be a terrible influence in youth sports. That has always been the case. Is it worse? Probably so. But kids are definitely behaving worse.

I think kids are acting worse because we now have parents not just ignoring but totally defending their children’s bad behavior.

 

[NKR1978]

2021/2022 data will definitely show an uptick. But still WAY below the 1990s.

Feelings don't care about your facts.

 

[NKR1978]

I think kids are acting worse because we now have parents not just ignoring but totally defending their children’s bad behavior.

Look at the videos over the last year of parents acting like barbarians at school board meetings across the country. Constant threats and harassment of local officials outside their homes. It's just going to get worse and worse.

 

[Fat tire 13]

2021/2022 data will definitely show an uptick. But still WAY below the 1990s.

Very interesting chart. Would love to see something longer term because I remember seeing other studies that showed a big spike in the 80s-90s. That would imply recent times are more "normal" than "low"

Couple other thoughts. I would imagine data today is more accurate due to technology to catch criminals and capturing of crimes on cell phone cameras. After reading that awful Todd Hodne article it tells me there was pressure to bury many awful crimes.

I truly believe very long term the world has improved in terms of poverty, crime, disease, etc. With many short term "countertrend" moves in places.

I would supplement the actual crimes with data about the extreme political polarization in society today. The left and right are further apart than we have been in 50+ years. People are angry and nearly every news story somehow becomes politicized. Even if the actual amount of crimes is the same, it "feels" worse due to the mood of society.

I'm not trying to spark some long political debate - rather explain why people may be skeptical of the data that Eric posted.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Glad Chris is publicly addressing just what we’ve been discussing happening all over regarding abuse of officials. Hope other AD’s join in and ban any abusive parents from attending games.

Frustrated CNY AD to fans: Knock off verbal abuse of officials

Referees at last week's Baldwinsville-Cicero-North Syracuse boys lacrosse were confronted by a fan after the game.

www.syracuse.com

 

[UpstateSM]

I think the point of this thread, was regarding kids. There is no question parents can be a terrible influence in youth sports. That has always been the case. Is it worse? Probably so. But kids are definitely behaving worse.

Almost like kids are a product of their environment!

 

[Cheriehoop]

Almost like kids are a product of their environment!

To play sports now so many parents spend way too much money and time traveling hoping their kid becomes a star and the parents and many times the kids themselves become frustrated and angry when their ‘investments’ don’t work out. Lots of pressure on the kids and the parents to fork over the money and time to stay relevant in youth sports. Unrealistic expectations are fueled by the amount of $ and time spent in chasing these dreams, creating anger over what they consider their kid’s future being thwarted.

 

[All4SU]

Almost like kids are a product of their environment!

All true.

 

[ForCuseSake]

Agree with a lot of what’s been posted in this thread about bad adult behavior degrading youth sports.

Also understand that violent crime stats show things aren’t as bad as they were 40-50 years ago despite the upward trend.

The age of violent crime perpetrators today is what disturbs me the most.

I don’t remember the frequency with which I heard suspects were 13-15 years old. Seems like it’s sadly more common today than it was in the 70s/80s (or previous decades that were more violent).

I attended Syracuse city schools in the early 80s through mid 90s. While it wasn’t uncommon to have classmates fall in with the wrong crowd and dropout, they weren’t playing the knockout game or carjacking people at malls.

 

[PhatOrange]

Runner was safe. Good call

 

[dollarbill44]

I think kids are acting worse because we now have parents not just ignoring but totally defending their children’s bad behavior.

It's not just parents. They see our government leaders acting aggressively towards each other and threatening physical harm, espousing/joking about assassinations, inciting division, trying to bring guns into congress (What?) etc. There is no shortage of bad examples for kids to draw from.

 

[dollarbill44]

Agree with a lot of what’s been posted in this thread about bad adult behavior degrading youth sports.

Also understand that violent crime stats show things aren’t as bad as they were 40-50 years ago despite the upward trend.

The age of violent crime perpetrators today is what disturbs me the most.

I don’t remember the frequency with which I heard suspects were 13-15 years old. Seems like it’s sadly more common today than it was in the 70s/80s (or previous decades that were more violent).

I attended Syracuse city schools in the early 80s through mid 90s. While it wasn’t uncommon to have classmates fall in with the wrong crowd and dropout, they weren’t playing the knockout game or carjacking people at malls.

I don't have any stats, and I'm certainly not questioning your experiences, but I definitely remember there being a lot of gun violence by teenagers in the crack-heavy early 90s in the major cities. It seemed it was a daily occurrence in D.C.

 

[NKR1978]

It's not just parents. They see our government leaders acting aggressively towards each other and threatening physical harm, espousing/joking about assassinations, inciting division, trying to bring gins into congress (What?) etc. There is no shortage of bad examples for kids to draw from.

No one can accept losing and learning from a loss any more. If you lose it's rigged against you.

 

[Cheriehoop]

It's not just parents. They see our government leaders acting aggressively towards each other and threatening physical harm, espousing/joking about assassinations, inciting division, trying to bring gins into congress (What?) etc. There is no shortage of bad examples for kids to draw from.

I agree, I think there’s a real attitude pushed by even our so called leaders - that if you disagree with something, don’t like a law or regulation, result etc - that your basic right to ‘freedom’ is being attacked and thus you have the right, in fact the duty, to attack back, disobey, violently show your displeasure. Kids are just watching and learning that it’s your right to believe and do what you want to do. My teenage granddaughters were getting serious flack from some of those brave insolent adult ‘freedom fighters’ while working at a grocery store and saw managers back down, afraid. What was the message to them and to those who confronted them? We reap what we sow.

 

[ForCuseSake]

I don't have any stats, and I'm certainly not questioning your experiences, but I definitely remember there being a lot of gun violence by teenagers in the crack-heavy early 90s in the major cities. It seemed it was a daily occurrence in D.C.

Yes, I lived in Syracuse mid 70s through early 00s and the level of gun violence there didn't compare to what was happening in major cities.

And I would wager most of the teenagers involved were likely 16-19; not 13-15. For some that may be distinction without a difference but to me it's quite a difference to be convicted of a violent felony at 14 than 18.

 

[kirbivore]

To play sports now so many parents spend way too much money and time traveling hoping their kid becomes a star and the parents and many times the kids themselves become frustrated and angry when their ‘investments’ don’t work out. Lots of pressure on the kids and the parents to fork over the money and time to stay relevant in youth sports. Unrealistic expectations are fueled by the amount of $ and time spent in chasing these dreams, creating anger over what they consider their kid’s future being thwarted.

This should be the message sent to kids and parents in these leagues

 

[PhatOrange]

Yes, I lived in Syracuse mid 70s through early 00s and the level of gun violence there didn't compare to what was happening in major cities.

And I would wager most of the teenagers involved were likely 16-19; not 13-15. For some that may be distinction without a difference but to me it's quite a difference to be convicted of a violent felony at 14 than 18.

The crime statistics are out there. The 70s and 80s were way worse. Now seems a little more indiscriminate though and for sure much younger.

 

[HOFCeluck]

I blame the rap music

 

[Orangezoo]

Boy you know things are great in hoops when Teens beating refs keeps floating to the top of the threads list.

 

[Todoubled23]

No one can accept losing and learning from a loss any more. If you lose it's rigged against you.

Schools in general should have classes on how to lose. It's easy to see people winning...it's hard to lose at anything.