Adults behaving badly in youth sports left an 11-year-old player in tears in Oregon.
ASTORIA, Ore. -- Adults behaving badly in youth sports left an 11-year-old player in tears in Oregon.
Coaches accused a child of being too old to compete. The shocking moment was caught on video.
Brinley Stephens is an 11-year-old softball player from Astoria, Oregon.
She had just hit a line drive, when coaches from the opposing team stormed the field and began questioning her age in front of everyone in the stands
"I want to see birth certificates or this game's done," someone was heard yelling.
"I was holding back my tears because I was like, 'Oh my gosh, she's out there by herself. There's these two adults are confronting her.' Thank God that our coach was there to step in between," mother Tracy Stephens said.
Stephens is a fifth-grader, who stands nearly 5-feet, 10-inches tall. She and all the kids in her league have to prove their age before they join a team. Her family says she is used to comments, but not like this.
"It was like, scary, like him coming at me. And I was just looking at him, like, what the heck was going on?" the girl said.
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Following the verbal exchange, Tracy Stephens says the opposing team coaches continued the behavior, making obscene gestures toward the parents when the game ended.
"We were upset, but we took it to the association, and hoping that they do better and reprimand and hold him accountable for his actions," Tracy Stephens said.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 70% of kids quit playing organized sports by age 13, often because of pressure from adults who they say make the games stop being fun.
"We're not making room for our kids to be successful. We're not making room for our kids to understand that it's OK sometimes to lose. And, in fact, sometimes when you lose, there's a victory in the loss," said Brian Barlow, the creator of Offside.
One assistant coach has been suspended for the year, and another was suspended for 10 days, with probation for the year.
The tournament organizers said in a statement, "We are still investigating the incident - the player did nothing wrong as she is just tall ... And skilled for her age. "
"It doesn't take much to hurt a kid that much and make them just stop believing in themselves. These kids deserve better. We as adults need to do better," Tracy Stephens said.