General: Violence at children's sporting cvents -- Film at 11

I don't mean to make light of this subject, but have the parents of America just lost their ever loving minds here?

Recently, here in California, the American Youth Soccer Association disbanded the Palmdale and Chino Hills California boys soccer clubs.

Why? Because 30 parents and coaches were involved in a soccer brawl. A soccer brawl for goodness sakes! One mother even hit another parent with her baby stroller. What's going on!?

Witness another incident. In Massachusetts, a father of a hockey player killed another player's father because he thought the kid played too roughly in the game.

The incidents have even hit the television screen. On an episode of the show Law and Order, a father killed his son's hockey coach, because his son was such a good player, that the father had NHL and College hockey scouts come to watch him play. Unfortunately, on the day the scouts came, the son was benched. I don't need to tell you how upsetting that was to the father.

What are we doing to the future generations of U.S. children? Why can't we go to our children's games, no matter what the sport, and not act like people just getting out of the crazy house? What ever happened to sportsmanship?

Forget "win at all costs." These kids are playing for fun, not the World Cup of Soccer or the Stanley Cup. Your son or daughter may be the next Vince Carter, Mia Hamm or Barry Bonds, but not now. Kids want to have fun at their games. Don't push so hard because YOU failed at athletics.

Parents, in spite of what you think -- and I'm sorry, I agree with Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson -- YOU are your child's role model, not some professional athlete. YOU!

How can you complain about what a pro athlete does on his or her time after a game or season is over?

Parents, get a clue. Being a child these days is stressful enough. They don't need to see their parents get crazy and stupid over something that really should be fun -- participating in sports.