One New Jersey town has come up with a unique way to combat bad sports parents who abuse referees.
Deptford Little League will require spectators who get mouthy with umpires to get behind the plate themselves and officiate three games.
And they will not be allowed on the complex until they’ve done their full penance.
League president Don Bozzuffi said the idea came to him after two umpires quit in the last two weeks.
“They said, ‘We didn’t sign up for this. We don’t need harrasssment’. I was upset,” Bozzuffi told The Post. “I went home and was trying to figure out a solution. Nothing in the past has ever worked.”
He realized parents are afraid of two things: They don’t want to be banned indefinitely from watching their kids. And they certainly don’t want to umpire the games themselves.
This new rule aims to educate parents on the difficulty of calling games — and deter abuse from the stands.
“We want to enlighten them to understand what an umpire goes through,” he said adding that there will also be a certified umpire on site.
“Maybe, just maybe, they will understand that this is not the easiest thing in the world. This is work being done by volunteers.”
Violence and harrassment against officials from parents, coaches and even players has been a disturbing trend in youth sports.
Such poor behavior has led to officials quitting in droves and an overall shortage in sports across the country, according to the NY Times.
“It’s been escalating,” said Bozzuffi who has been involved in youth sports for over 40 years. “About 99 percent of spectators are wonderful, and they give positive reinforcement. It’s the one percent that don’t get it.”
Before instituting the new measure, Bozzuffi ensured he had the full backing of town officials — and they threw their support behind it.
“It’s refreshing to know that everyone is on board. I’ve had phone calls, emails and texts from Little Leagues across the country. Two of our district towns say they are going to try to implement this.”
The new rule also has the endorsement of Little League International president and CEO Stephen Keener.
“Little League International expects its participants and fans to adhere to the highest level of sportsmanship while attending local league events,” Keener told Good Morning America, adding, “We applaud the volunteers at Deptford Township Little League for coming up with a creative, fun solution to shine a light on the importance of treating everyone with respect, on and off the Little League field.”
Oklahoma based soccer official, Brian Barlow, who runs Offside, a Facebook page that calls out poor behavior from the sidelines, believes the statute is both simple and “innovative.”
“I want people to understand what they are doing at youth sporting events is creating a toxic, cancerous environment,” Barlow told The Post. “Not only does it embarrass their children, it’s so deep rooted, the officials are leaving. We have to be innovative and creative. I applaud what [Deptford] is doing, and I think it’s going to be a great success.”
Bozzuffi has been overwhelmed, but heartened by the positive response from across the country.
“We as a nation can fix this. It’s going to be so much better for the kids,” he said adding, “Let them play, let them have fun.”