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Another Little League season is nearly upon
us, and I have a confession: I'm an ump-aholic.
I love to umpire baseball games. I love having
the best seat in the house. I love getting to know the kids
in our league who play the games. I love leaving the field
knowing I've had a hand in enabling two dozen youngsters
to play the most American of all sports, baseball.
Umpiring a baseball game is one of those life
experiences (like waiting tables or cooking an entire Thanksgiving
dinner) that everyone could benefit from doing at least
once, if only to better appreciate those who can handle
these harder-than-they-look tasks.
I've been a Little League umpire for five
years. While you've been coming out to the park to watch
your kids play, I not only have been calling their games,
I've been watching YOU.
One of you brought an air horn to your kid's
Little League game and blared it every time your team did
something right. After the game, I asked why you had used
the horn and disrupted the game. The answer? To irritate
the opposing coach.
Too bad there's not a book of guidelines for
parents to follow when it comes to watching their children
participate in sports. If there were such a book, it might
include the following suggestions:
The ultimate goal at any game is for
the players to have fun.
Games are most fun and players play
best when the only tension they feel comes solely from the
events on the field, not from their parents hollering at
the umpires.
Parents can best support their children
at games by cheering for the entire team, not just their
child, and by letting the coaches coach their child.
It's great when praise is directed to
players on both teams when a good play is made.
There is a vast difference between you
being unhappy about your child's playing time, position
or place in the batting order and your child being unhappy
about it.
The coach has earned the right to fill
out the lineup card by hours devoted to watching tryouts,
drafting the team, organizing practices and occasionally
waiting afterward for parents to pick up their kids.
Questions or disagreements with the
coach are best handled calmly and privately.
Umpires are the game's authority figures.
You, as parents, can help teach your children respect for
authority by not showing disrespect to umpires. Do you get
to disagree with an umpire's call? Of course, for about
1.5 seconds - about the time you allow your kids to moan
and groan each night when you announce it's bedtime. There's
a distinct line between disagreeing and disrespecting. Please
don't cross the line on the field.
Other parents at games are your neighbors;
and chances are, you will spend many seasons watching games
together as your children grow up. Rightly or wrongly, you
will be remembered for your worst behavior at the ballpark,
and your reputation will follow you to PTA meetings and
church.
If you find yourself taking your children's
games too seriously, wander over to another diamond and
watch a game between two teams you have absolutely no interest
in. Observe, the parents' reaction to the game and compare
it to your own. Perhaps seeing them getting worked into
a lather over a Little League game will help you better
understand yourself.
And if you still can't help but be critical
of the umpire's imperfections and think you can do a better
job, do your league a favor: Grab a mask, strap on a pair
of shin guards and get behind the plate.
We can use you.
Copyright © 2000 The Seattle Times Company
Sports : Sunday, April 16, 2000
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