n the majority of games umpires work, things go smoothly. The outs are by a step or two, the players swing, and the parents actually behave. But sometimes we forget that an easy game can turn ugly in a heartbeat. How? Well, within each game, there are a plethora of instances where we must make decisions. How we make them — and how those around us react to them — can change the complexion of any game. When we reach the fork in the road, taking the wrong path often leads to calamaity.
Like many disasters, no one person is at fault. For a game to unravel completely, more than one person must screw up. Sometimes, it is the players willing to do battle. Sometimes, the coaches and umpires go toe-to-toe. As headlines in New Jersey and Florida inform us, sometimes it’s the parents.
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