New Youth Sports Law in Florida

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Rich

You're kidding, right? There are stories all the times of leagues and tournaments who get rid of officials or simply stop using them because the officials TCB and don't bend over backwards to please the "customer." I posted one above. That's not the only time that's happened to me in 28 years, either.

Difference between me and other officials is that I don't really care -- I don't really need to work stuff like this and do it mainly to tune up for camps or for some pocket money to take on vacations. I'll TCB. Those that use this money to pay the bills quickly learn to get walked on so they keep getting the work.

Guess it is not an issue around these parts because I've never once considered something like that happening. There a lot of parents who sit in silence but I very happy their jack-wagon coach gets tossed from a game.

What I do know is that I've read quite a few stories of officials getting assaulted in Florida. Maybe this isn't the proper execution to address the lack of civility in sports leagues in that state, but apparently it is bad enough to catch the attention of some people of power.

[Mark Padgett]

In all the years I was associated with our local kids rec league, our policy was that if a coach was ejected, he or she had to appear before the executive committee of the Board of Directors before he or she could continue to coach. If they did not agree to appear, they were done coaching (either head or assistant) "forever", even if they had a younger kid who was coming up in the ranks. If they appeared, there was still the possibility they would be barred, but that was rare. Sometimes the Board committee would suspend them for a game or two but they usually straightened themselves out pretty quick. We had to keep in mind that all our coaches were volunteers and we really didn't want to lose them.

There was one coach who slapped a player (5th grade boy) during a timeout for "not paying attention". He thought it was OK to slap him because the kid was his son. We kicked this jerk out for life.

[john5396]

Seems like the wrong fix to me. Who is acceptable as a coach in the league should be league business.

My comment about assault on officials in FL. In NC, it is a felony to assault a game official. Why add a civil penalty (cant coach anymore) when assault is a violent crime and should be treated as such. If the offender is convicted of a felony, then with recreation leagues around here, they are not eligible to coach.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by john5396

Seems like the wrong fix to me. Who is acceptable as a coach in the league should be league business.
...

Well, in Florida, a couple of the assaults that have occurred have been by convicted felons who have been allowed to be assistant coaches in youth leagues. Apparently those businesses are not being run in the best interests of the participants and officials.

[SNIPERBBB]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Well, in Florida, a couple of the assaults that have occurred have been by convicted felons who have been allowed to be assistant coaches in youth leagues. Apparently those businesses are not being run in the best interests of the participants and officials.

That's a reason why a lot of areas are going to background checks for almost any adult, coach,umpire, score keeper, to be able to do games.

Many areas, like mine, can't afford to have umpires blackballed lest they have to start having lotteries before gamed to see who gets pulled out of the stands to do games...that's almost how I got started doing basketball games.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I am interested in how the AAU (and Disney) are going to respond to this legislation considering the number of AAU Nationals that are held at Disney. Also YBOA basketball and USSSA nationals.

MTD, Sr.

[Bad Zebra]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

What I do know is that I've read quite a few stories of officials getting assaulted in Florida. Maybe this isn't the proper execution to address the lack of civility in sports leagues in that state, but apparently it is bad enough to catch the attention of some people of power.

I swear the heat cooks people's brains down here. The assault cases I've heard of tend to occur in youth football and soccer. There's no shortage lunatic parents in AAU basketball but I've not heard of much in the way of physical confrontation...at least in my neck of the woods. It is a big state though.

The person who sponsored the bill witnessed the bad behavior at his daughter's softball game (he's a coach). He's a state senator from South FL. (Broward County). I applaud the effort...but this measure seems broad, non-specific and unenforceable.