We all know the stereotype. In fact, Hollywood depictions like funnyman Will Farrell in “Kicking and Screaming” have made it into something of a pop-culture phenomenon.
But a state lawmaker in Florida wants to see a whole lot less of the aggro, over-the-top youth sports coaches he's come across on the sidelines of his 9-year-old daughter's soccer games.
State Sen. Jeremy Ring, a Democrat from the Ft. Lauderdale suburb of Margate, has proposed a bill that would require season-long bans for coaches who are ejected from games involving children ages 12 and younger, reports the Tallahassee Democrat.
“My guess is every one of you has seen a coach, a parent-coach, on the other side that is obnoxious and sometimes goes beyond obnoxious,” Ring told members of the Senate Community Affairs Committee last week.
“Some of the things I see on the field, they're really scary at times. And I would say as coaches we're supposed to be teachers and some of the behavior is just unacceptable.”
The proposal was approved unanimously by that committee, but it must pass through two more committees before reaching the Senate floor. Should it survive that process, it would move on to a vote in the state House of Representatives, though Ring predicts that it will “struggle” in that chamber.
Ring's bill includes no punishment for violators and includes provisions for leagues to set up appeals processes to check the power of what he calls “overzealous refs.” But it's still drawing some critics, including a veteran Tallahassee-area baseball coach who told the Democrat that the law would “basically take away a part of the game and sport” by stifling debate about controversial calls.
But just imagine a calmer, more constructive environment at youth soccer games – wouldn't that benefit players, coaches, referees and parents alike? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
