By Anthony Rifilato and Karen Rice
On the sidelines, a sparse turnout of parents toting folding chairs conversed civilly 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 perceived 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 insults 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 aggressive.
It is this aggressiveness 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 Leg. David Denenberg (D-Merrick), the bill follows similar 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, and it awaits the signature of Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi before it takes effect.
The bill's tenets are listed for parents and players. In the fair play agreement, players must agree to: never argue with an official, never berate an opponent or trash-talk, and control tempers. Under the agreement, dust-kicking is not permitted, nor is showing off after a win.
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, in determining what would constitute behavior worthy of ejection from a game.
Pat Pizzarelli, athletic director for Lawrence Public Schools, agrees that the new legislation will benefit youth-level coaches who have never had formal training.
Really, the main reason for [the new legislation] is to educate youth-level coaches, Pizzarelli said. This is the first time formal training has been instated for youth-level sports. It is a good step in the right direction.
He added that he does not feel the legislation is needed for high school level sports because the coaches keep the parents and players in check, but on a youth level, the legislation is long overdue.
On the high school level we don't need it, but no one was doing it for the little kids, he said. Now something is being done.
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 Little League director. We already have ways of dealing with parents and players who get out of control.
Cruz said that aggressive incidents are rare and that the Little League, which plays on Town of Hempstead fields 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 gets out of line, they are suspended.
The leagues have to enforce the rules, not the legislature, said Cruz.
Fred Golub, the referee, said he thinks the bill is terrific.
By parents signing a piece of paper, it makes a big difference, Golub said.
