Little Leagues putting in new rules to keep umpire hecklers in check
SEEKONK - It brings new meaning to the phrase, "put yourself in someone else's shoes."
If a parent wants to complain about the umpire, some Little League teams are requiring the parents to put some skin in the game to stop umpire hecklers.
When it comes to playing ball, some calls can get a spirited reaction.
In Seekonk, while most parents don't often cross the line, they've seen others be downright verbally abusive.
"It gets bad, it gets extremely bad," said sports parent Tara Pereira who was watching her nephew at a Little League game.
Now, a new rule a few states away to keep hecklers in check is hitting home with the Seekonk Little League.
"From a guy who's done umpiring for a number of years, I thought it was great, finally for a league that finally steps up," said Seekonk Little League President Mike Boisvert.
In Deptford Township, New Jersey, a rise in shouting matches forced several referees and umpires to quit.
So, the league introduced a new rule saying if anyone fights with an umpire, they must volunteer to be an umpire themselves for at least three games-or be banned for up to a year.
"I want to see them squirm, I want to see them make that call and maybe they'll see it's not as easy as it looks," said Deptford Township Little League President Don Bozzuffi.
That's why in Seekonk, there's a zero-tolerance heckling policy.
Anyone heckling an umpire during a game, can't come back for 24 hours.
The policy has been in place for six years, and if a heckler is defiant, it can escalate to a board decision.
"Emotions get the best of us," said Boisvert. "But I think we do a fair job of controlling that and knowing that we're not going to be one of those towns where everybody looks and says, 'we're not going to go there.'"
For now, Seekonk, will stick to their own zero-tolerance policy, but welcome any parent who wants to see what it's like to be on the other side of the plate.
"It's eight and nine-year-olds like the kids playing behind me, there's no reason to get upset about a ball and a strike, at the end of the day, it's all about the kids and the kids are having fun," said Boisvert.
After all, the Little League's mission is to use, "the power of youth baseball and softball to teach life lessons that build stronger individuals and communities."
"They're just children and they learn by example, and if we're not setting the example, they might learn it from someone else and it might not be the right one," said parent Melissa Reis.
