Hidden cameras on coaches and fans

[Randal]

One of the local TV stations here in Minneapolis/Saint Paul (Fox 9) sent hidden cameras to more than a dozen youth basketball and hockey games. They aired a number of "choice" moments on the evening news.

They also interviewed 263 certified officials. See

http://www.kmsp.tv/news/investigators/story.asp?1641358

The results were interesting, if not unexpected. "43% of the refs who took our survey, agree behaviors are getting worse."

"Which group is most responsible for bad behavior? The refs who took our survey blame parents and spectators first, and then the coaches. But if you break it down by sport, hockey refs put coaches ahead of fans on the bad behavior list. While basketball refs see it just the opposite."

[SF]

I know a local rec basketball league I work for has dispatched league employees with cameras to take video of "problem coaches." Let me say it works wonders to keep them behaved. The funniest thing is half the cameras don't work, but just the idea that they're being filmed calms most coaches down.