Quelling The Anger At Youth Sports Events, New GOP Health Care Bill Could Crumble Over Pre-Existing Conditions

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Summer is almost here, and kids will soon be taking to the soccer and baseball fields as youth sports leagues get underway. For parents cheering their children on, passion can sometimes turn into anger. Our guest says it’s important to take a deep breath, remember it’s only a game, and have fun. Plus,we’ll talk about the latest in the debate over health care reform.

Featured in this Show

  • Keeping Parents Calm On The Sidelines

    As kids head outside to take the baseball diamond, soccer field, and other outdoor sports, a guest says many parents need to calm down, take a deep breath, and remember it’s just a game.

  • Youth Baseball Coach Works To Keep Overbearing Parents In Check

    Little League coach John Diedrich always wears a rubber band around his wrist during a youth baseball game. He snaps it when the game gets stressful to remind himself what it’s all about.


    Evan Primakow, Glendale Little League

    There’s another reality check on the Glendale Little League fields. As president of Glendale Little League, Diedrich, along with the league’s board members, erected a sign in the ballpark to remind spectators — namely parents — to keep their cool and don’t take the game too seriously.

    The sign recently got a lot of traction on social media with hundreds of comments on Reddit. Diedrich says it was inspired by a similar sign in California. It gives five reminders:

    1. These are kids.
    2. This is a game.
    3. Coaches are volunteers.
    4. Umpires are human.
    5. Your child is not being scouted by the Brewers today.

    Each year, Diedrich has to deal with some parents who lose control during games, yelling at umpires, coaches, other parents and their own child on the field.

    “The kids, a lot of times, will turn away from the sport due to the pressure and embarrassment of this yelling that goes on. And it can be contagious. The other team thinks they need to up their volume. Pretty soon it’s a toxic environment,” said Diedrich, who wrote an opinion piece about spectator decorum in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where he works as a reporter and assistant editor.

    About 400 boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 14 play in Glendale’s league. Diedrich has been Glendale’s Little League president for three years, and each season he has a heart-to-heart with parents.

    “I make it very clear that we’re not going to tolerate this. If there is a problem, I go and sit next to a parent during the game,” Diedrich said. “If it becomes a problem, we’ll warn people and remove them from the ballpark if necessary.”

    The California-based nonprofit organization Positive Coaching Alliance works to transform the culture of youth sports so young athletes can have a positive experience. It was formed in 1998 by some former athletes and coaches to address this problem of negativity in sports.

    According to the alliance, 70 percent of kids drop out of sports by the age of 13. Mental burnout — when the game is no longer fun — is one of the top reasons for why kids turn away.

    With thousands of youth baseball players in the Milwaukee area, and more than 2.5 million Little League players worldwide, Diedrich hopes this message will spread around the globe: parents should take a deep breath and remember it’s only a game. Diedrich thinks the sign in Glendale’s ballpark is making a positive difference.

    “This sign is a reminder to parents, and anyone else who comes to our park, to keep this in perspective as to what this is all about,” Diedrich said. “You’re there to show your support.”

  • New GOP Health Care Bill Could Crumble Over Pre-Existing Conditions

    The newest GOP health care bill is being debated by members of Congress. However, many lawmakers are divided over whether to support the bill given the potential removal of protections for people with pre-existing conditions. We speak with health policy expert Donna Friedsam about the news and the future of the bill.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • Rob Ferrett Producer
  • J. Carlisle Larsen Producer
  • John Diedrich Guest
  • Donna Friedsam Guest