This week’s column is going to walk the fine line between sports opinion and social commentary. I think this an extremely important subject, but if you’re looking for NFL analysis, check back next week.
Some of you know I have the privilege of officiating local football and baseball games. This past Saturday I worked two \”pee-wee\” football games in Curwensville. The first game involved kids in 5th and 6th grades; the second involved 3rd and 4th graders. In each game there was a situation that resulted in profanity being used in a loud, boisterous manner, once by a coach and later from the stands.
The calls themselves don’t matter, if you want details on the exact situations I’d be happy to share those via email. What matters here is what we expect from our kids and ourselves. Profanity at the varsity level is inappropriate; at the 3rd grade level it is, in my opinion, shameful. Even if the calls made were the \”worst calls ever made\”, does that somehow justify coaches and parents cursing?
We, as parents, coaches, and officials, have to hold ourselves to a higher standard for the kids’ sake.
Rest assured that all of those kids heard the words uttered on that field; some, unfortunately, have doubtless heard them at home or in school, but some may never have been exposed to such language. Now, as an official I admit I’m more of a stickler than most for sportsmanship and fair play, but what I experienced Saturday night both saddened and angered me.
I’ve been an official for 15 years and never experienced anything like that, even at the varsity level.
Don’t you think it’s sad that winning is so important to these coaches that they cannot rein in their anger and competitive fire for the kids’ sake? Is not the main goal of these leagues teaching the kids the game? I’d argue that instilling the values of sportsmanship and fair play is atleast as important as the conditioning and techniques taught to these children.
I had two of my sons with me at that game. Afterwards I had to explain to my seven-year-old what had happened, and why such actions are unacceptable.
My sincere wish is that I will never have to do that again with any of my children. Parents, coaches, let’s all work together to make sportsmanship and positive role-modeling our #1 priority for our kids.
Dave Glass lives in Clearfield with his wife, Suzanne, and their six children. He can be reached at buggyracer@verizon.net.
