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Overzealous and downright mean parents have always been a problem in youth sports. In one game I umpired (the players were 12), a mother came onto the field and cursed me repeatedly before she could be subdued by the coach. (Note: I am a bad umpire, but not that bad).
But now coaches are fighting back. A jury in California has awarded a high school baseball coach $700,000 in damages after finding that one enraged parent acted with "oppression, malice, despicable conduct or fraud" in his dealings with the coach.
The parent, enraged because he felt the coach was damaging his son's arm by allowing him to throw too many pitches, pulled his son off of the team. No problem there. But then he repeatedly complained to the school, filed two lawsuits against the coach and repeatedly badmouthed the coach to local and national media outlets. The coach countersued for malicious prosecution and defamation.
The jury quickly found for the coach, dismissing the parent's claims. Said one juror, "I think this should send a message to parents."
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