Parental rage and violence in youth sports Research Paper

Parental rage and violence in youth sports - Research Paper Example Such type of violence is often seen through brawls and fistfights involving parents, children and coaches. These incidents have disrupted youth leagues. Moreover, these brawls and similar incidents end up being controlled by the police and forced into settlement and exchange of apologies among the opposing parties. However, other incidents end up with criminal prosecution. Nevertheless, regardless of how these brawls and other acts of sports rage and violence end up, what is sad is that they often disrupt schoolchildren especially preschoolers. There was even one incident where the umpire’s decision has left more than twenty parents and coaches swinging punches at each other in the field, much to the curiosity and amazement of the preschoolers who were watching and who thought that â€Å"the adults were [merely] entertaining them by staging a wrestling match† (Abrams 259). What is harmful about this is that children exposed to parental rage and violence will somehow ten d to learn that such fights are normal and that it is perfectly all right that people fight if they believe that they are right. What children should learn at an early age is humility and diplomacy in order for them to grow up into individuals who will foster peace. However, sports rage is teaching them otherwise. People who are involved in sports rage and violence usually end up with hurt feelings as well as physical problems like cuts, bruises, and other forms of physical injuries including split lips. However, some would end up in something much worse like the forty-year-old father of four who was beaten by another father of the opponent team in a hockey game. The attacker simply thought that the victim’s son had played against the former’s son too roughly during the game. After a series of punches, kicks and wrestles, the victim lapsed into a coma and immediately expired after removing life support (260). Moreover, what is even worse is that the victim’s chi ld was subpoenaed in order to testify in his father’s behalf (Fiore 114). One could therefore only imagine the amount of pressure that the child has to undergo after being exposed to testify against or in favor of his own violent father. The mental and emotional trauma that the child experiences will most likely remain with him for a long time, or even for the rest of his life. One can therefore only imagine its negative consequences on the child’s personality as he grows up. Another negative effect of parental rage is the consequent unavailability of good coaches. In fact, it is interesting to note that many youth sports programs do not have qualified referees and umpires because they cannot find any adult who is â€Å"willing to endure abuse from parents and coaches† (Abrams 261). This lack will most likely further the negative consequences of youth sports and violence as assigned coaches will not have the skill to handle conflicts that may arise. Ultimately, it is the children again who would be on the receiving end of the negative consequences of such problems. According to Abrams, a dozen states have already enacted laws against assaulting coaches and officials of youth sports groups and the purpose of this is to enforce the law in order to restrain parents and coaches from creating an outrage and from physically hurting each