Parents fight as children play

Fierce competitiveness provokes some parents too far

By the BBC's Fergal Parkinson in Miami

A tide of parental violence is ravaging American youth sports.

The case in Boston where a father, Thomas Junta, beat to death the referee of his son's ice hockey match has highlighted the alarming trend which many say is getting out of hand.

People say 'I didn't make my league, or the high school team... but my child will'

Fred Engh, National Alliance for Youth Sports

A couple of months ago in Sarasota, Florida, a father was arrested on a charge of battery after he stormed on to the field and punched the referee in his seven-year-old son's American football game.

This incident occurred in the wake of a brawl in Los Angeles involving more than 30 adults following an under-14s football match.

Police made several arrests, including one on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

At the Ice Breakers Arena in Pompano Beach, Florida, 12-year-old children wearing their red kits and head guards step on to the ice for a cup match.

The booming horn sounds as the visiting team scores, the atmosphere is electric.

Assaults increasing

Parents stand on benches, screaming and shouting for their children.

Games last for a couple of hours and they regularly feature violence between mothers and fathers.

"I have seen parents fight amongst parents, physically fighting in the stands," said one mother here to cheer on her son.

The National Alliance for Youth Sports says assaults have trebled

Tom Sutton is here with his twins and says the violence is getting worse.

"I saw one instance up in North Florida where there were blows between two women, and in the West Coast on one occasion pepper spray had to be used to diffuse the situation," he said.

The National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) has spent the last decade looking into the problem.

They have produced a report confirming that, in ten years, assaults have increased three fold.

Fathers 'too emotional'

The report concludes with the following observation: "Fathers in particular sometimes find it difficult to contain their emotions when their children are involved in competitive sport."

Fred Engh, president of the NAYS, is worried about the trend.

He said: "We have people that will be saying 'I didn't make my league, or the high school team, or the college team or the pros, but my child will.'

Thomas Junta has been jailed for killing another father

"So they live through their child in their sport."

Some sports associations have hired people specifically to deal with this escalating problem.

Debbie Danneman, of the National Youth Hockey Association, has devised some initiatives.

"USA Hockey puts out a video to show to the parents and we give them literature on how to act... we want them to view it as a team sport for the children, not for the parents."

Back at the Ice Breakers game all ends peacefully as the home team wins 3-2.

Parents here are supporting the NAYS code of conduct which rules that parents breaking it will be banned from the touchline for life.

It is hoped that schemes like this will lead to greater sportsmanship not on, but off the pitch.