Adults get lesson They decided to require this year all parents attend a half-hour training session. Then the leaders braced themselves for backlash. But we didn't lose anybody over it. At least one parent of each of the 2,000 children signed up for baseball and softball underwent training, he said. The class features a 19-minute video of unruly parents, followed by a discussion of proper conduct.
Parents agree to abide by a code of ethics and receive a button to wear at games.
So far, the classes seem to have worked, Mr. Leslie said. Parents have been better behaved and more positive at this season's games. The success of the conduct classes depends, in part, on peer pressure, especially with leagues that don't require attendance. The ones who need it most may not go. Ms. Sasala, a community services director of Kirtland, a city of 7,000 about a half hour east of Cleveland, expects to offer the parent classes this spring.