I am begging you. Please.
This one definitely hits home. I live with three umpires and know a lot of them personally. The stories that I have heard from my brother, sister, dad and friends are horrifying.
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I think we sometimes forget that umpires aren't super humans. They are not there to make your child's life miserable. They are not there to act as God. What they are there for is to help the learning process of the sport.
Now my family are umpires for a "learning" league in Philadelphia. This is the league where I learned how to play and I would not have wanted it any other way. I am guilty of giving umpires attitudes and so is the rest of my family. Nowadays though, it is way worse than just a simple attitude.
I was recently at a 13-14 girls championship game. My sister was umping the bases. While I was sitting on the sidelines, I heard parents from one of the teams talk poorly about my sister. They just kept repeating about how much she sucked and she was one of the worst umpires in the league and that she had no idea what she was doing.
There's a definite possibility that my sister has made a bad call in her umpire career, but she knows the rules. I've seen her and my dad go back and forth about the rules. My sister is not the worst umpire out there, and even if she was, who are you to talk about a 19-year-old girl? It was hard to sit there and not say anything.
At the same game, a call was made at the end of the game that cost the other team the chance to make a comeback. It wasn't my sister's call, she actually called the girl safe. After the call was made, one of the moms stood at the fence and cursed my sister out. No one tried to stop her either. While my sister left the field, the woman continued to curse her out.
Now I know some might say, "It comes with the gig," and that's okay. Most umpires know that there are going to be a few problems going in. My family continues to do it because they all love the game and love to watch the girls they ump get better.
My brother and dad have come home angry and upset because of parents and coaches yelling at them as well.
I am begging you. Please stop yelling at them.
They are human beings with feelings. Even if they are the worst umpire you have ever seen, they still do not deserve to be harassed at every game.
There is no reason for the umpires to have fear going into a game whether or not the parents are going to be crazy.
It is just a game.
You're child may be the best thing since sliced bread, but it is still just a game.
That one bad call will not ruin your child's athletic career. Not winning a championship or even a regular game, will NOT ruin your child's career.
Maybe instead of getting angry and blaming everything on the people that only want the girls to grow, you can teach your child that winning isn't everything. There is so much to learn from the game and just being on a team. While winning was nice, I always learned more from a lost than I ever did a win.
Stop taking athletics so seriously, especially in a learning league. It is supposed to be fun. It is not the Olympics. It is not the World Series.
So please, remember that these people are humans. If you want to make the calls, become an umpire.
Until then, sit down, keep quiet and enjoy the game.
