When parents watch their kids compete in youth sports, it can be all too easy to forget it's only a game. Glendale, Wisconsin's Little League program posted a gentle reminder about that for fans and parents at their field recently.
Reddit user and "rookie" Little League DadEvan Primakow posted a picture of the sign with the caption "the sign at my son's Little League field."
The sign reads:
"1. These are KIDS.
2. This is a GAME.
3. Coaches are VOLUNTEERS.
4. Umpires are HUMAN.
5. Your child is NOT being scouted by the Brewers today."
The Reddit post had more than 700 comments and 28,000 upvotes at the time of this story.
When Evan Primakow, a dad new to the league, posted a picture of the sign on a public discussion board he had no idea it would generate so much attention.
"I like the message, but I also thought it was a nice tongue and cheek way of getting the message out there. It's not mean, it's kind of funny," Primakow said.
The Glendale Little League President says they put up the sign a few years ago as a reminder for those in the stands.
"We've had some parents who have been a little let's say intense around the fields making comments sometimes at our umpires and other parents and so forth," said League President John Diedrich.
The sign makes a statement, but some still choose to ignore it.
"Nobody's really complained about the sign, but I still see some competitiveness in parents.....Let's just take it less seriously. We're here for the kids," Diedrich said.
The baseball dad can only guess the reason his post is making the rounds online is because people can relate.
"I think it rings true with people. No one likes to go to a game with kids and see parents fighting in the stands and I think because of the competitive nature of sports that happens everywhere," Primakow said.