There is nothing quite like youth sports. Any organized athletic event where young people are competing against one another seems to bring out the worst in people. It’s exasperating to have to go to a game where six and seven year olds are playing baseball, simply to arrest someone who is absolutely losing their mind about a kid’s game.

Good behavior does not include calling the umpire a blind %&$# so in so. There is no instant replay at youth sports. There are no professional referees there either. They make split second decisions about something they see once. I was an umpire for co-ed softball league. It was an awful experience.

Root for the kids on your team. Do not root against the other kids who are playing. Adults look juvenile when they laugh at a child missing a ball. These people look like, . . . what’s the other term for donkey? Remember we are the ones who should set the example for little people.

Is there really a call on the field worth going to jail over; something so insidious that makes the risk for a trip to the county bed and breakfast worthwhile? Invariably, the police end up looking like the bad guys because we arrest parents in front of children.

What do people expect when they curse every breath, threaten to kill the umpire, burn down his house, and kill his dog for good measure? This is a serious issue. If people would simply think before spouting off it could save a lot of trouble.

So as you attend sporting events, remember, they are just games. They are supposed to be fun. They should not be traumatic events for the kids. Cheering for your team is a great thing. Screaming at a child who makes a mistake or ridiculing a youngster from the other team is bad behavior. A person who curses, screams and generally makes a donkey of themselves is a horrible example. Enjoy the games and allow the children to as well.

– Chief Daniel Watson, Darlington Police Department