Dalhart Parents Act Better at Your Kid’s Games

One of the things about being a parent is attending the sporting events of your children.

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One of the things about being a parent is knowing when to control your self at said sporting events.  With that said, the question remains,

Dalhart Parents, how the heck are you acting at your children's school sporting events?

I was perusing Facebook like I always do in the mornings while I have my first cup of coffee.  I noticed a friend of mine from Dalhart shared a letter from Dalhart ISD.  It was a letter about behavior at school sporting events.

Keep in mind the referees used in sports in the Amarillo area are also used during sporting events in other areas of the Panhandle.

The letter basically set out rules for those attending sporting events, especially basketball. Here are the rules included in the letter.

1. Profanity and disrespectful language will not be tolerated. NO EXCEPTIONS!!! We are having far too many incidents and T fouls for this behavior. Starting today, any use of the word F@&K will result in disqualification, Period. This language will not be tolerated at any level. The Chapter has the complete support of everyone on this issue, including the people at a way higher pay grade than any of us. NO MORE PROFANITY FROM ANYONE! PLAYERS, COACHES, FANS.

 

2. There will not be any more personal verbal abuse towards the officials. Especially the SUB-VARSITY REFEREES. The Amarillo Chapter had 2 officials quit this week. Walked away and said IT’S NOT WORTH IT. We wonder why there is a shortage of referees! Varsity coaches are expected to set the example, and sub varsity coaches will leave the referees alone. Mistakes are made by players, coaches and referees. Some players are better than others, some coaches are better than others and some officials are better than others.

 

3. Deal with your parents!! No referees = No games. Pretty simple.

 

4. When the game is over, it's OVER! Every site we play at has an administrator and some type of security. No one gets to get close to or confront the game officials after a game. This is unacceptable. Not one of our officials should ever feel uncomfortable while leaving a gym. I don't think too many of the coaches, players or fans leave a game and wonder if they can get to their car without conflict.

5. 95% of the officials call games for the kids. They have no other motive. It's nice to get paid, but the majority do it because they love the game and the excitement of the actual games. A small % are motivated by money. That's just the truth. Let's make this easier, not harder. From the official’s view, every game needs to be a positive experience.

Read the full letter here.

Dalhart parents, what the heck are you doing at Dalhart school sporting events that would warrant this letter?

I understand getting a little bit heated and screaming, "C'mon ref," that's one thing, but what is happening that the Amarillo Area Chapter of Basketball Officials has to send a letter like this to the schools?

Are you cussing out the referees?  Are you getting into their faces?   Are you shouting profanities for everyone to hear?

What does that kind of behavior teach our children?  That it's ok to cuss somebody out just because you don't like the call they made?  As for the profanity, I understand that some people freely drop the F-Bomb and it means nothing to them, but there are still families that don't use that language and don't want their children exposed to it at a school event.  Students cannot use that language in school and that rule should extend to everyone entering a school campus.

We live in a world where our opinion is the only opinion and if yours doesn't meet with mine, "oh it's on", and life shouldn't be this way.  Especially out of grown adults.

This is a sport that kids are playing, and yes there are going to be ref calls that aren't fair and shouldn't be made, but sometimes, you just have to grin and bear the call.  Not assault the ref.

This is why there is a ref shortage these days in all youth sports.

It may seem that I'm picking on Dalhart, but I'm not.  This is a message for all parents of all kids that have kids that play in all sports whether it be school sports, club sports or Kids Inc. sports.  It is a game.

Don't embarrass your children by acting like a [DONKEY] at their games. 

Children imitate what they are surrounded by, surround them with kindness.