Sports should be a positive environment so that youth athletes get the best experience possible. In order for this to happen, administrators, coaches, parents and athletes all need to focus on maintaining a level of respect that will keep the fun in sports.

No matter how much a youth sports organization does to create a positive culture and maintain a respectful approach, emotions run high at game time and sometimes get the better of spectators. Not only does this distract and negatively affect the athletes playing their sport, it is disrespectful to everyone else involved, as well as the honorable history of sports.

Witnessing such behavior, you can intervene. Some organizations have "Culture Keepers" to monitor fan behavior and distribute handouts as reminders of the culture of respect the organization maintains. You also can display and hand out “We Honor the Game Here” stickers. This is a subtle way to let parents or other spectators know that their behavior is unacceptable.

If less assertive options don’t work, it’s always an option to have an administrator issue an official warning, or if necessary an ejection. Sometimes it is is even necessary to call police to keep in place a positive environment for the youth athletes.

For more tactics that can be used to intervene when someone is dishonoring the game, read this one page guideline.