Little Johnny Smith winds up to fire a high, hard one toward home plate. Tommy Jones takes the borderline pitch, which umpire Specs Callaghan calls ball four, forcing in another run. Tommy's manager goes crazy, berating Specs loudly and with exaggerated gestures, as fans in the stands pick up the infection and begin their own profanity-laced tirade against the arbiter. The tirade turns even uglier, and pretty soon Specs is wondering whether he's going to survive to ump another game.

That little scenario is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the guilty.

It happens all the time. Kids are being taught by such behavior that sportsmanship is an archaic concept that doesn't apply to them. How could it? Their own parents and manager are the ones setting the example.

Imagine how devastating such a confrontation would be if, instead of Specs Callaghan — whoever that is — the umpire were a teenager trying to earn a few extra dollars during summer vacation doing something fun while helping out a community youth program that desperately needs it. The kid may never go near a chest protector again.

That's what's happening all over the North Country and beyond. Parents try too hard to make their young baseball players succeed and win, to the point where moms and dads are acting boorishly. They not only teach their children lessons they'd be far better off not hearing and seeing, they are intimidating prospective game officials from taking up the hobby.

It's not just baseball where this unfortunate trend is taking hold. Every sport has its unruly element, and local sports are threatened by it.

If you talk to organizers of local programs, many will tell you sad tales of teenagers eagerly trying their hand at umpiring and being vigorously rebuked by an adult, sometimes one of the coaches. Sometimes, the youth, humiliated and frightened by the encounter, gives up the dream on the spot. Many of them try it one year, realize the excessive abuse they're in for and don't come back for a second year. Some have left the field in tears, inconsolable.

These are kids, doing their best at something they're just learning.

The experience not only damages the child's confidence and frame of mind, it robs the community of much-needed officiating personnel. Ask a scheduler of umpires around the North Country, and you'll probably be told there aren't nearly enough umpires and referees to meet the need. And those belligerent, overly competitive coaches and parents are to blame.

When you go to the game, no matter who is umpiring, remember this: We're talking about a Grasshopper, or Pee-Wee, or Little League, or even Babe Ruth League game. The kids are trying to have fun and become better players. This is not the World Series.

If you don't learn to control your emotions, you're going to destroy organized youth sports, because who wants to officiate a game knowing he or she is going to have you to contend with?