When parents make the wrong call

Unfortunately, there's no shortage of stories about parents behaving badly at children's sports events.

The latest involved the alleged attack on a referee following a basketball game for 10- and 11-year-old boys this past week in Cedar City. A mother who was angered when her son fouled out of the contest allegedly confronted the referee after the game, grabbing her by the hair, pulling her to the ground and kicking her. The suspect, Melissa Cheeney, 33, of Pioche, Nev., has denied assaulting the official.

Meanwhile, Cheeney has been charged with Class A misdemeanor assault and public intoxication, a Class C misdemeanor. The assault was charged as a Class A misdemeanor because the referee is five months pregnant.

We leave it to the court system to sort out the criminal charges. Our concern is for the lack of sportsmanship and civility that permeates organized sports. Whether it's an unruly sports fan at a professional sports arena or worse, parents who lack self-control when they lash out at referees or even other parents, it is a sad statement about the out-of-control nature of youth sports.

Some children, from the time they are in elementary school, are pressured with talk of college scholarships and even professional careers. Never mind that scholarships and lucrative professional contracts are few and far between.

It's not enough for young athletes to build skills or develop self-confidence. They are pressured to strive for the "elite" squads or competition leagues.

Youth sports have become a pressure cooker. No small wonder that some youngsters, not good enough for the select teams or affluent enough for specialized sports camps, quit. When childhood obesity is so prevalent, children need every encouragement to stay involved. The emphasis needs to be fun, not winning at all cost.

In this recent case in Cedar City, no one was seriously hurt. But taken to the extreme, serious injuries can result, even deaths such as the senseless beating death of a Massachusetts hockey father by another hockey dad in 2000.

Since then, some sports leagues have required parents to subscribe to a codes of conduct before the start of sport seasons. Some leagues have policies that ban problem parents from games. Some parents have taken matters into their own hands, by handing out lollipops at the beginning of games to encourage out-of-control parents to use their mouths for eating instead of goading officials, other parents or even players.

The bottom line is, youth sports are for kids. Parents had their turn when they were on the field of play as youngsters. A parent's job is to support their children and to act as a role model so when their children are the adults, they'll know from example how to handle themselves appropriately when under pressure.