Lovers of baseball often point out the essential orderliness, or even politeness, of the game -- the unhurried pace, the turn-taking, the relatively low risk of injury. One Minnesota town is attempting to restore the sport's ground rules of respect.
The Northfield Youth Baseball Association (NYBA) has adopted a conduct code, signed by players, parents and coaches, that outlines unacceptable behavior, including insulting, belittling or physically abusing others.
"Coaching is a lot like parenting," says Bill Szydlo, an air traffic controller who volunteers as president of the NYBA. "[Our team members] may not all grow up to be professional ball players, but they're all going to grow up to be adults. We as a community want to model for youth some behaviors that support the development of character -- respect for others, teamwork, communication on how to solve problems, and a positive outlook."
At each game, a roving monitor presents first offenders with a card explaining the policy and its enforcement. Repeat offenders, including unruly parents or coaches, may be ejected from a game or banned from road trips.
"It's amazing, the difference in people," says Szydlo. "Last year, I lost some good umpires. This year, I had coaches and umpires that had quit come back and say it's fun to work with kids."
This story was provided by the American News Service, a project of the Center for Living Democracy. For more information, call (800) 654-NEWS or visit www.livingdemocracy.org.
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