Parable of the Forlorn Fan Published May 5, 2008 By Lt. Col. John Clark Fitness Center staff McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. -- Baseball season was in full swing as the smell of freshly mowed grass mixed with the pings of aluminum bats, bringing our hero back to his glory days on the diamond. He smiled as the sun warmed his face and he contentedly took in his prodigy's athletic prowess. Perhaps, he will play in the major league someday, he ventured to himself. With the appearance of his son at the plate, he snapped out of his dreamy stupor as he realized the coach had foolishly placed his prize offspring at the bottom of the line-up. Perturbed, he took mental note to discuss this lack of judgment with the coach between innings. Now was not the time, since he didn't want to miss his son hitting this one out of the park. Sure enough, his little slugger took an outside fastball to the opposite field and rounded the bases as the inept right fielder attempted to track down the ball. "Inside the park homerun!" he realized as the third base coach wheeled his arm wildly at the boy sprinting past him towards home. The play at the plate was a cataclysmic collision producing a massive cloud of dust and gasps from the crowd. The umpire loudly responded with an unintelligible phrase, but gave the unmistakable thumb sign for "You're out!" Emotion overwhelmed the proud parent as the blood rushed to his face and he began stringing words together, clearly articulating his disapproval of the play in a way that would get censored even on cable TV. The outraged parent continued spewing insults until he finally realized that he was the only one speaking and that everyone else was staring at him. The other parents silently approved with smirks as the ump merely pointed the way to the parking lot. Meanwhile, the son showed no sign of knowing the crazed fan and continued to the dugout to gather his glove for the next inning. Unfortunately, this vignette is not uncommon today, even in our neighborhoods. Almost every season, there are news stories about out-of-control parents at youth sporting events resulting in physical and verbal altercations, and sometimes worse. Very rarely are the youth athletes involved. The worse part is the effect the incident has on children competing in the event. Their love of the game is sometimes irreversibly damaged, while the humiliation caused by their parents carries over into their school and social lives. What can we do? Shout positive cheers instead of negative, insightful words. This means encouraging good play on both sides of the ball as well. Parents from the other team will notice your good will, which will help defuse emotional situations when a close call has to be made by the boys in blue. A second effective method is engaging the opposing player's parents in polite conversation before the game. This allows you and your children to be seen as friendly competitors and not enemies. Finally, when another parent inevitably yells disparaging remarks at the umpire, ref, coach, or even your child, don't allow yourself to get drawn into their negativity. When the police come to break up the fight, no one will clearly remember who said what or when. They'll only remember the scuffle. Watching your children play sports can be one of the most satisfying activities you can enjoy. So smell the cut grass, bathe yourself in the sun, relish the spirit of competition, and share the love of the game with your child.