To the Editor:
Inappropriate adult behaviors at high school athletic events across the country have reached epidemic proportion.
When more than 2,000 high school athletic directors were asked in a recent national survey what they like least about their job, 62.3 percent said it was, “dealing with aggressive parents and adult fans.”
And the men and women who referee or umpire those contests agree. In fact, almost 60% of new officials registered in Iowa in 2016-2017 did not return to officiate in 2017-2018, and unruly parents are often cited as a major reason why. As a result, there is a growing shortage of high school officials here in Iowa, and in baseball, football, track and field, and wrestling, the IHSAA is seeing record lows. No officials means no games.
If you are a parent attending a high school athletic event this fall, you can help by following these six guidelines: