By Anthony Rifilato
On the sidelines, a sparse turnout of parents who brought folding chairs conversed civily and waited for their kids to play as they practiced before the game.
Once the game started at around 4:30 p.m., however, some parents and bystanders began to stand and accumulate along side the field, looking like professional coaches ready to dictate their expertise and provide encouragement to the players in motion.
Eventually, after what some Baldwin parents percieved as deliberate fouls and trips from the Hewlett team, they vocally criticized the referee, Fred Golub.
"C'mon, ref! Did you see that?" one parent from Baldwin yelled. "Open your eyes. ref! What game are you watching?"
Golub, who is a referee for soccer, basketball, lacrosse, and football in Nassau County, was impervious to the invectives and later said that this was tame behavior, compared to what he's been through.
"I've had to throw parents out of the gym," Golub said. "The kids' leagues and men's leagues are the worst. I think the men's league is more agressive."
It is this agressiveness that has referees like Golub favoring last week's "good sportsmanship" bill passed by Nassau County lawmakers, which would prohibit parents and players from using county playing fields if they don't agree to sign a code of good conduct.
Sponsored by Legis. David Denenberg (D-Merrick), the bill follows similiar legislation under review in Suffolk County and is aimed at curbing hostile behavior which has become a growing social issue across the country in the last several years, such as an incident two weeks ago when fans attacked a Kansas City Royals first base coach, and several other incidents where parents and officials were attacked by irate parents.
The bill was voted along party lines, with the Democrats voting 10-9 in favor of the law but has to be signed by Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi before it takes effect.
"The agreement is so simple," said Legis. Joseph Scannell (D-Baldwin). "It's common sense. It encourages kids to have fun and reinforces the right conduct."
The bill's tenets are listed for parents and players. In the fair play agreement, players must agree to: never argue with and official, never berate my opponent or trash talk, and control tempers and not show-off.
Parents also have to sign, and a few of the rules outlined for them are: teach young athletes that honest effort is as important as winning; encourage all sportsman-like behavior; and teach young athletes that officials are an important part of the game.
The bill leaves school athletic officials and local leagues in charge of enforcement and determining what would constitute behavior worthy of ejection from a game. Under the agreement, dust kicking and arguing with an official is not permitted, as is showing off after a win or trash talking.
"We've made sports too important," said Andrew Herman, athletic director for the Baldwin school district. "It's come to the point where people tolerate certain behavior from players."
Herman has seen his share of close calls.
"I've had to stop parents from jumping over the fence and going after officials. It's outrageous behavior," Herman said. "This means we can't say, 'kill the umpire' anymore."
Herman, who favors the bill and represented the district when he testified before the legislature last week, said that the law will go a long way in terms of educating parents, kids and coaches.
"The focus is always on education. It will raise an awareness and expectation that they'll behave in a positive way. It's the first step," Herman said.
But some athletic officials said they believe that the bill is unenforceable, and that it carries little weight because it contains no specific penalties.
"I think their time [the legislature] would be better spent on other things," said Dee Cruz, an 18-year director of the Baldwin Little League . "We already have ways of dealing with parents and players who get out of control."
Cruz said that agressive incidents are rare and that the Little League, which plays on Town of Hempstead parks and is not subject to the bill, provides a set of rules to coaches which outlines what league officials expect. One rule dictates that if a coach argues with an umpire, that coach must umpire a future game to know what it feels like. Another rule says that if a parent gets out of control, coaches are asked to tell parents not to attend a game. If a coach or player get out of line, they are suspended.
"The leagues have to enforce the rules, not the legislature," said Cruz.
At the Baldwin-Hewlett game, some parents said that there should be a bit more tact on the part of players and parents.
"I think some parents live through their kids," said Mariann Crystal, whose son, Adam, is captain of the Baldwin High School soccer team.
"I saw a father yelling at his kid after a lacrosse game once because he thought he wasn't giving his all," Crystal said. "It was July 3, and it was so hot the kids were dripping with sweat, but the father said he should be ashamed of himself. The kid was so embarrassed."
A few of the Bruins soccer players also thought the bill would be a good first step. Mid-fielder Eric Wolf said he's seen his share of whiny parents.
"It's good for the game. You have to draw limits," Wolf said of the bill.
Some of Wolf's teamates echoed his sentiments.
"It's pretty good. It keeps parents in line," said Kevin Freehill.
Fred Golub, the referee, said he thinks the bill is teriffic.
"By parents signing a piece of paper, it makes a big difference," Golub said.
