OBNOXIOUS SPORTS PARENTS: The Criminality of Attacking Young Ref’s
When Verbal Abuse of a Teen Official Becomes Criminal Child Endangerment By Doug Abrams Every so often, a newspaper column sends a powerful, unforgettable message. On March 14, 2008 – more than five years ago – the Meridian Booster, a small newspaper in Alberta, Canada, carried a letter-to-the-editor that has stayed with … Read more
INNOVATIONS IN SPORTS: Creative Signs Remind Parents to Behave
It’s such a simple and straightforward idea that it’s amazing that it wasn’t put into place years ago. In short, in Buffalo Grove, a Chicago suburb where, like so many other American suburbs were parents tend to be out-of-control at their kids’ sporting events, the local rec department decided to erect a bunch of signs … Read more
Sport Safety: Local Booster Club Raffles Off Firearms to Raise Funds for HS Team
Well, when it comes to trying to find a creative way to raise funding for school sports, this one is a bit different. A HS booster club in Georgetown, TX is raffling off 52 firearms to help raise monies for its local HS sports programs. Tickets which cost $100 a piece will lead to “winners” … Read more
ABUSIVE COACHES: The Ongoing Embarrassment of Rutgers
I can’t recall the last time I was so heated on my radio show, but the ongoing nonsense at Rutgers just gets my blood boiling. Look, I have no ties with the school. I didn’t go there, don’t know anybody there. But as someone who cares deeply about student-athletes, I just don’t understand how the … Read more
COACHING TIPS: Fighting Discrimination in Youth Sports
Lessons From Hong Kong About How Discrimination Hurts Youth Sports By Doug Abrams Early last month, the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong’s English-language daily newspaper, carried an article about a crisis facing the most popular local youth sport. Writer William Lai identified “the troublesome trio of over-competitive coaches, overprotective parents and underqualified … Read more
ABUSIVE COACHES: “WHORES, ALCOHOLICS, AND LEARNING DISABLED”
Let me see if I understand this. The Rutgers athletic program was already national disgraced when videos surfaced of their men’s basketball coach, Mike Rice, verbally berating, and at times, throwing basketball players at his players. Then, in an effort to patch up its reputation, the newly minted Big 10 university hired one of its favorite … Read more
ABUSIVE COACHES: Rutgers Stubs Its Toe…Yet Again!
We all agree that Rutgers was in quite a mess of its own making when former men’s basketball coach Mike Rice was shown repeatedly on videotape berating and physically abusing his players. It took some time, but finally the college administration did the right thing and fired him. Oops! And in its haste to replace … Read more
LEGAL CONCERNS: Try to Maintain a Reasonable Perspective on Criminal Assaults
More Thoughts About the Role of Criminal Prosecutions in Preventing Assaults on Youth Sports Officials By Doug Abrams After the recent fatal assault on youth soccer referee Ricardo Portillo in suburban Salt Lake City, last week’s column explained why legislation to criminalize assaults on sports officials remains unnecessary and potentially counter-productive. In every state, … Read more
INNOVATIONS IN SPORTS: SUNY Youth Sports Institute Making A Difference
I can’t remember how many years I’ve been suggesting that youth coaches at all levels – including rec programs and travel teams – undergo some sort of training before they work with kids. Problem is, there have been preciouse few such programs around. And of the ones that do exist, they tend to have a ”cookie-cutter, one size … Read more
LEGAL CONCERNS: Why New Laws Regarding Sports Violence Aren’t Necessary
Why Statutes Criminalizing Assaults on Sports Officials Are Still a Bad Idea By Doug Abrams Tragedy struck in suburban Salt Lake City, Utah on April 27. Forty-six-year-old youth soccer referee Ricardo Portillo took a single punch to the head from a 17-year-old goalkeeper who was angered about being shown a yellow card (a … Read more
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