by Trip Todd

Created on: August 22, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

It is an unfortunate fact that many of us have experiences in which an overzealous parent took things a little too far and turned an exciting, cheerful event into a frightening, embarassing moment that will stay with the children and parents that witness it for quite some time.
My worst experiences with little league parents from hell came when I spent my summers coaching an Under 12 team. It never ceased to amaze me how a child with such a care-free attitude and a great disposition could have a parent that seemed to be such a hot-headed jerk. For me this child was Jarred and this parent was "Dave". Jarred was certainly an above-average player for his age and our team's success usually hinged on his performance. However, this was also a little league game with rules that specified that every player must participate. This meant occasionally, Jarred would have to take his turn riding the bench while some of his teammates with less natural ability played a few innings.

There was one game in particular leading up to the league playoffs, in which "Dave" took exception to my decision to sit Jarred down and let his teammates in the game. After yelling at me repeatedly from the stands, Jarred's dad decided to come down to the field and discuss my decision face to face right in front of his son. Thankfully, I had already taken note of Dave's foul mood and I managed to calm him slightly and then another parent (and friend of Dave's) came down to convince Dave to discuss it later. In the end, the only harm was a delayed inning and a few embarassig memories for Jarred and his mom. The sad part is there are dozens of stories like this one that end differently and go beyond an argument or yelling.
Sometimes in life, we all need to take a lesson from children and realize that sports are intended to be fun and when one person loses their temper it can impact everyone around them. So next time you're at a ballpark, try to remember to not only keep your cool, but keep an eye out for others that may have forgotten the real reason they're there and maybe you can diffuse a situation by reminding them.

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