The following letter was sent out by East County Little League Vice President David Bell who is encouraging spectators, coaches and managers to be on better behavior when watching youth baseball games. He would like to remind everyone that profanity, arguing or unsportsmanlike conduct is prohibited. He also notes that fighting or intimidation could lead to ejections and/or suspensions–we would like to add that a physical altercation may also involve the police.
The following letter was sent out Sunday evening and posted on social media websites.
Dear Families of East County Little League,
My name is David Bell and I am the Vice President of Baseball and Softball for East County Little League. As VP of Baseball and Softball my duties include registration of players, scheduling and overseeing specific division coordinators. As a VP I also sit on our Executive Board. The Executive Board has a variety of responsibilities including the review of all disciplinary actions.
We are just 5 weeks into our 2014 season, not quite half way. I have witnessed some great games with amazing plays. Our ballplayers are making strides and having a great time playing ball, everything a fantastic little league season should be. Unfortunately I cannot offer up the same glowing report about the spectators and even worse, some adults in both coaching and managing positions. Every night this week I, along with my fellow Executive Board members, have had to deal with some very disturbing situations taking place at our games. It has been necessary to eject parents, grandparents, coaches and managers for behavior unbecoming a spectator attending a YOUTH sporting event.
With that said I would like to remind everyone participating in our league that this is a game played by CHILDREN and more often than not umpired by CHILDREN. Our players range in age from 4 years to 15 (16 for softball) years old. The average age of our umpires is 17 years old. Our younger umpires oversee our younger players, older umpires (we have a few adult umpires for our Junior Division and Major Division games) are assigned to oversee older players. Just as your son or daughter is learning the sport of baseball and or softball – these young men and women are learning the skills of umpiring. Yelling at, cursing at, intimidating and even following umpires to their vehicles is UNACCEPTABLE and will NOT be tolerated.
Every manager, coach, board member and umpire is a VOLUNTEER and our VOLUNTEERS are the heart and soul of this league, without them we would cease to exist. All of us have one goal in mind and that is to provide a quality environment for your son or daughter to learn this great game.
All of our volunteers have put in many hours of time to make our league as great as it is. Speaking for myself, very little gives me more joy than to watch our young ball players on the field learning the game, coming together as a team and having a great time playing the greatest sport there is.
When I and my fellow board members have to deal with an adult that has chosen to behave badly that takes some of the joy away. Let me share what the view from the dugout is… Just imagine being a child caught up in the energy of a game having to stop and sit in the dugout with his teammates because an umpire or board member is having to call a halt to play to deal with an adult behaving badly – only to realize that it is his family member that is using profanity, refusing to leave or brawling on the side lines. Being stuck in the middle of looking up to a coach or a manager and having to watch as the umpire now ejects that adult for losing sight of why we are all really out there.
To be clear – profanity is PROHIBITED. Un-sportsman like yelling and arguing about plays is PROHIBITED. Fighting and or use of intimidation tactics is PROHIBITED. Consequences will include, but may not be limited to, IMMEDIATE EJECTION from the game – that means go back to your car and LEAVE, spectating or coaching for you is DONE that day. The heavier the offense – the stricter the penalty. Suspension from a game/games is not out of the question.
As volunteers we LOVE the great game of baseball. Know that in that same passion for the game we will STRICTLY enforce the consequences that come from exhibiting poor decision making at a youth sporting event.
I ask that before you make a comment regarding any aspect of the game – check yourself – keep it positive. If you feel that change or an action needs to occur – bring it to our attention through an email or phone call. Your constructive feedback is critical to our success. Partner with us in keeping baseball/softball a positive, enjoyable experience for players, volunteers and spectators.
Let’s have a great rest of the season! I look forward to meeting all of you on the sidelines.
Sincerely,
David Bell
Vice President Baseball-Softball
East County Little League
(925) 783-6713
[email protected]
10 comments
Thank you ECLL for once again trying to be proactive in solving this issue. Parents, grandparents and family its only a freaking little league game not the end of the world. Calm the heck down and just enjoy kids playing baseball or softball.
It’s a game! Chill out and have fun or just stay home!
“it is neither my right nor my privilege to barrage others with my judgements, accurate or not” – one short sentence – if this behavior continues, we could lose our charter. end of subject!
I agree with everything Mr. Bell has stated. Especially the part regarding adults need to remember this is about kids learning to play a game. I ask the team coaches remember parents are paying to have their child learn a game and how to learn to play as a team. Playing one or two innings when there are 13 kids on a team is not fair to a child. All kids on a team should play equal time, whether the child has the natural ability or not. The game is about a team, not an individual “star”. By the way, I do not have a child playing a sport, but I did many years ago.
my son has an independent team named “Toros” from Pittsburg. They have played two practice little league teams from Antioch. One in Pittsburg n one in Antioch. Both games, the parents n players were very respectful on both sides. I personally enjoyed these games. Ive watched many games and know and appreciate what you’re saying. . . the umpires were good too! Thank You….
I was at my nieces softball game in Oakley Saturday and some jackass yelled at the umpire and was ejected. Girl on second ball hit to the shortstop, she had the ball in her hand and tagged the runner with her glove and the ump correctly called the runner safe at third. Multiple parents yelled at the ump for being “blind” and how could he ” miss the call from 2 ft away” etc etc….. Only the loudest and infinitely stupid fan was tossed but all of them should have been ejected due to their blindness and inability to know the rules and see the play for what it was. After the game as the ump walked past me on his way to his car I told him “good call I’m glad you stood up for yourself.” He appreciated it. I’m on the board for another baseball league and you can’t believe the things parents say and do at youth games of all sports. Luckily for us it seems to be better this year but all organizations have issues like this and it’s really unfortunate the players have to deal with these situations and see such poor sportsmanship. While there are situations that are truly egregious, like a father reffing his sons basketball game and making calls for his sons team to try and change the outcome of a game etc etc, we as parents and role models have an obligation to our kids to act appropriately.
My grandson plays teams from Oakland and Concord because there are only 2 teams in Antioch in the age group. All teams have been extremely courteous but it never hurts to remind a few. They are just embarrassing their children.
Well said Mr Bell!!! N
Oakley is ghetto, I def won’t let my son play there …….
Parents on the sideline needs to remember that this is something for the kids to have fun, learn the game, build confidence, being social, and belonging to something. That’s their job! The parents are “cheerleaders”, so cheer them on! Parents are suppose to give positive support and be good role model for their children. With all the excitement, yelling out directions only confuses them. Let the coaches coach the game! Remember, let the kids enjoy their experience of the game they played.
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