Florida youth league requires parents to learn sportsmanship

Participants read 'Parents' Code of Ethics' as part of a required class on sportsmanship

Violence at sports events nationwide prompts move

July 10, 2000
Web posted at: 9:33 p.m. EDT (0133 GMT)

In this story: Parents: Program works A reason for the violence RELATED STORIES, SITES

From John Zarrella
CNN Miami bureau chief

JUPITER, Florida (CNN) - A youth athletic association in Jupiter, Florida, has become the first in the United States to require parents to take classes on how to behave at sporting events.

The Jupiter-Tequestra Athletic Association said the move was prompted by the increasing number of incidents of inappropriate and often violent behavior among parents of young athletes.

On Monday in Reading, Massachusetts, the father of a youth hockey player pleaded innocent to manslaughter charges. Police said he allegedly beat another young player's father to death during an argument over rough play on the ice.

ALSO Massachusetts father pleads innocent in hockey rink killing

Other less extreme incidents of inappropriate behavior, such as parental head-butting of game officials, or parents yelling offensive language at coaches or umpires, have led 175 youth leagues across the nation to begin implementing adult sportsmanship programs.

Officials: Program works

Youth League officials in Jupiter say the sportsmanship program is working. Since February, when the program began, there have been no reports of adults violating the sportsmanship code.

So far, about six thousand parents have taken the seminars and promised their children they will behave like adults.

The program is obligatory. "We had to come to the conclusion that if a parent or guardian does not attend, we will not let the child participate in our program," said league official Jeff Leslie.

Parents are required to take an oath to support coaches and officials working with their children. They also must pay $5 to take a class that includes rules on appropriate ways to act and react at youth sporting events.

"I think it's needed all over," said one unidentified Jupiter parent. "Every league has seen their problems. One way or another the leagues have seen problems with parents yelling at umpires or the umpires and coaches getting into it."

A reason for the violence

Experts say one reason for the increase in violence is parents who see a pot of gold in their child's future, often becoming delusional about their child's athletic ability.

"If they've got athletic talent, if they've got a competitive nature, I don't care what the sport is, that athletic talent will rise, they'll be successful athletes," said Fred Engh of the National Sports Youth Alliance. "You can't make a child be an all American player."

Engh says more parents believe competition is the main mission of youth sports, when athletics should be simply center on having fun.

RELATEDS AT :

Getting your kids (to exercise)
Surgeon general's health goals focus on kids
Parents should steer kids to age-appropriate sports

Man dies after fight following youth hockey game
July 7, 2000
Doctors warn against kids focusing on one sport
July 4, 2000
Basketball riots in L.A., soccer thugs in Europe: Only the violence is the same
June 20, 2000
Many children face uphill struggle in maintaining fitness
April 10, 2000

American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Children and Sports
President's Council on Physical Activity and Fitness Research Digest
PE Central's web site for kids

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.