By Todd Bluth
Referee David Dallin doesn''t remember whether a foul should have been called on that particular play near the end of a routine Junior Jazz game. He only remembers the angry yells from parents and fans when he did not call anything.
He also remembers the same parents and fans standing menacingly in the parking lot after the game. He recalls passing through the spite-filled epithets they hurled his way at close range while he nervously walked home. He also remembers the recreational center officials that escorted him all the way to his front door as a precaution.
'I was pretty nervous,' said Dallin of the event. 'Nobody ever made a move toward me, but they kept shouting degrading things at me personally, and I had to be escorted home. It''s unfathomable to me, some of the things that are said - all the shouting.'
Dallin''s experience is just one of the many incidents of spectator misconduct directed at game officials in youth sports leagues. As competition and the desire to dominate becomes increasingly prominent among younger sports leagues, game officials are feeling the heat more often from angry parents and supporters, prompting city officials in Provo and across the nation to take measures to curb the actions of overzealous parents and ensure safety for their officials.
The ascendance of increasingly younger athletes to the national stage has left many in America to wonder if they are pushing the next Tiger Woods or LeBron James down the street in a stroller. The possibility of raising the next superstar becomes all too real for some, causing them to push their children to perform from an early age, distorting the child''s view of sports, competition and, to a degree, life.
'When parents over-identify with their child''s successes or failures, when their ego is tied up in the success of their young athlete, you get into problems,' said BYU sports psychologist Ron Chamberlain. 'I think some parents really do feel validated if their child is successful. the child''s identity occasionally becomes so tied up in being an athlete that they can''t enjoy the experience ... and I think that stems from their parents'' driving them so hard in a few cases.'
Wayne Dominowski, general manager and editor for the Sergeant Bluff Advocate in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, received his master''s degree in education and guidance counseling, and has done extensive research on the phenomenon of what he calls parents living vicariously through their children.
'Some parents try to rule their kid and are just stupid people,' said Dominowski. 'These parents are a nuisance to their sons and daughters. They try to live through their kids. I see it as failure personified - a lot of them weren''t good athletes in high school and they''re trying to make amends for their failed past, and they''re not letting the kid learn.'
Scott Henderson, assistant director of the Provo Parks and Recreation Department, has also noticed the increasingly disturbing behavior of some parents during their children''s games. He says that while a majority of the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the spectators, city officials also have a duty to try and fix the situation.
'It''s a concern for us because it''s a major aspect of our program,' said Henderson. 'You have the kids on the field playing and there are a lot of other people there, spectators and parents, and I think you would be taking an ''ostrich management'' approach with our heads in the sand if we didn''t try to address the problems in that area.'
In order to help deal with the rising number of parent-official incidents, Henderson has promoted a new program to be implemented by Provo youth sports leagues during 2006. The program, aptly titled 'Focus on Fun,' is designed to clearly lay out the city''s intention for youth sports leagues, so that all involved will take the message to heart.
'We try to let people know what the intent of our programs is and we try to educate coaches and parents when they sign up for these leagues,' said Henderson. 'We want to set the tone, let them know that this is first for fun, and to get kids active. Competition is kind of down the ladder a ways. We want to be proactive and have a system in place and let people know what we''re into.'
City rules dictate that unruly or disruptive spectators at games should be issued verbal warnings, technical fouls or both before actually being ejected from games. Furthermore, city staffers are on hand at all youth league games to assist officials in the event of any spectator incidents.
Henderson''s program is unique, however, because it also stresses education as a pre-emptive measure to quell these occurrences before they happen. He believes that if parents and spectators are well-informed beforehand about the purpose of youth sports, they will embrace the message and help shift youth sports in Provo toward the fun, friendly atmosphere he says sports should create.