A recent column in the Treasure Coast Palm by Laurence Reisman puts a spotlight on the alarming increase in coach and fan violence in youth sports, much of it directed at game officials. Athletic Business recently ran a story about former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy berating a team of officials at a youth basketball game, and that's just one of many incidents that has lead to a massive shortage in quality officials in all sports. A survey by the National Association of Sports Officials found that 75 percent of referees who quit cite "adult behavior" as the primary cause.
Given the severity of the problem, we thought the 2010 video below was worth revisiting. It was made for Connecticut high schools and features sports commentators Suzy Kolber and Mike Golic. In his column, Reisman says it is the best video he's seen on how to parent a student-athlete and should be required viewing, annually, for all parents of high school athletes. Perhaps it will spark discussion on how to stem the kinds of abusive situations that are devastating the available pool of youth sports officials.
