Pretend the kid in the picture (above) is watching his father at the end of a Sunday afternoon Little League game. While the other 13- and 14-year-old players from Chicago suburbs are lining up to shake hands after a game (it teaches the kids good sportsmanship), this kid keeps his eyes on good ole Dad. "What's he going to do now?" the kid worries.
ABUSIVE SPORTS PARENT
It's one of the first abusive-sports-parent stories of the season. It's not that unusual, I know. I wonder just how many times this kind of stupid behavior will be replicated this summer at ball fields from New York to California. And ruin the game (that's suppose to be fun) for how many kids?
Last Sunday afternoon, in Antioch, Ill., Little League teams from Antioch and Bristol, WI (just 11 miles away) played a baseball game. The players were 13- and 14-year-old boys and the game was at the Antioch Upper Middle School. Not one of the news stories I read mentioned who won the game. The overwhelming feeling was that no one won. It was lose-lose game in the end.
GOOD OLE DAD RUINS GAME
In this story, good ole Dad was Scott Knudsvig, 42, of Bristol, WI. While the boys were literally lining up to shake hands after the game, Knudsvig approached the opposing team's coach and accused him of making an "inappropriate" comment to his son. Then Knudsvig attacked the coach according to Antioch police Comdr. Jim Ruth.
He punched the coach in his face and pushed him down, breaking his glasses. What a guy.
The police say only one other parent intervened. However Knudsvig said he was assaulted by some 10 other parents who tackled him. He said he has marks "all over" his chest. Maybe those marks spelled "I am a stupid jerk."
Police arrested Knudsvig only, and charged him with battery and criminal damage to property.
What do you wanna bet that when he got home from the police station, he found some way to blame his son for his troubles? Hopefully Little League will ban Dad from attending games.
PARENT'S PLEDGE CODE OF ETHICS
Why is it that some parents don't understand that "children participate to have fun and that the game is for youth, not adults" -- those are words at the beginning of the Parent's Pledge, Little League Code of Ethics.
If you know anyone whose kid plays sports, any sports parents, please don't just read the Parent's Pledge, copy it and stick it on every bulletin board you see this summer -- from the office bulletin board in the lunch room to the community message board at your natural foods grocer. And should you spend a lot of money on sports equipment for your kids, ask the damn sports store to post it. And should you witness abusive behavior by parents, slip the Parent's Pledge under their windshield wipers -- and run.
Maybe we can help a few kids actually have a fun summer playing baseball and build memories that they will want to recall as an adult, rather than forget.
CLICK HERE TO READ: "lITTLE LEAGUE PARENTS, INCLUDING TOWN PROSECUTOR, FIGHT AGAIN AND FACE CRIMINAL CHARGESS."
By Sharon McEachern
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