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Column: Amid increasing abuse, officials flee youth sports

Kristi Moore, left, stands on the field before a baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Atlanta. Moore was punched in the face less than two weeks ago by a parent who did not agree with her call on a play at second base at a girls' softball game in Mississippi. Major League Baseball umpires Lance Barksdale and Ted Barrett were outraged when they heard of the assault of Moore. They wanted to show their support, so they invited her to Friday's game, which they are calling. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) Kristi Moore, left, shakes hands with third base umpire Nic Lentz before a baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Atlanta. Moore was punched in the face less than two weeks ago by a parent who did not agree with her call on a play at second base at a girls' softball game in Mississippi. Major League Baseball umpires Lance Barksdale and Ted Barrett were outraged when they heard of the assault on Moore. They wanted to show their support, so they invited her to Friday's game, which they are calling. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) Kristi Moore speaks on the field before a baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Atlanta. Moore was punched in the face less than two weeks ago by a parent who did not agree with her call on a play at second base at a girls' softball game in Mississippi. Major League Baseball umpires Lance Barksdale and Ted Barrett were outraged when they heard of the assault of Moore. They wanted to show their support, so they invited her to the game Friday which they are calling. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) Kristi Moore, left, stands on the field before a baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Atlanta. Moore was punched in the face less than two weeks ago by a parent who did not agree with her call on a play at second base at a girls' softball game in Mississippi. Major League Baseball umpires Lance Barksdale and Ted Barrett were outraged when they heard of the assault of Moore. They wanted to show their support, so they invited her to Friday's game, which they are calling. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) Kristi Moore, left, shakes hands with third base umpire Nic Lentz before a baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Atlanta. Moore was punched in the face less than two weeks ago by a parent who did not agree with her call on a play at second base at a girls' softball game in Mississippi. Major League Baseball umpires Lance Barksdale and Ted Barrett were outraged when they heard of the assault on Moore. They wanted to show their support, so they invited her to Friday's game, which they are calling. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) Kristi Moore speaks on the field before a baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Atlanta. Moore was punched in the face less than two weeks ago by a parent who did not agree with her call on a play at second base at a girls' softball game in Mississippi. Major League Baseball umpires Lance Barksdale and Ted Barrett were outraged when they heard of the assault of Moore. They wanted to show their support, so they invited her to the game Friday which they are calling. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) Kristi Moore, left, stands on the field before a baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Atlanta. Moore was punched in the face less than two weeks ago by a parent who did not agree with her call on a play at second base at a girls' softball game in Mississippi. Major League Baseball umpires Lance Barksdale and Ted Barrett were outraged when they heard of the assault of Moore. They wanted to show their support, so they invited her to Friday's game, which they are calling. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) Kristi Moore, left, shakes hands with third base umpire Nic Lentz before a baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Atlanta. Moore was punched in the face less than two weeks ago by a parent who did not agree with her call on a play at second base at a girls' softball game in Mississippi. Major League Baseball umpires Lance Barksdale and Ted Barrett were outraged when they heard of the assault on Moore. They wanted to show their support, so they invited her to Friday's game, which they are calling. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) Kristi Moore speaks on the field before a baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Atlanta. Moore was punched in the face less than two weeks ago by a parent who did not agree with her call on a play at second base at a girls' softball game in Mississippi. Major League Baseball umpires Lance Barksdale and Ted Barrett were outraged when they heard of the assault of Moore. They wanted to show their support, so they invited her to the game Friday which they are calling. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) FILE - San Francisco Giants' Donovan Solano disputes a call with home plate umpire Ted Barrett during the eighth inning of Game 3 of a baseball National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, in Los Angeles. America is facing a real crisis in prep and youth sports., where fewer and fewer people are willing to take on the thankless job of officiating games. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File) FILE - Chicago Cubs manager David Ross, center, argues with umpires Lance Barksdale, left, and Ted Barrett during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Chicago, Saturday, April 9, 2022. America is facing a real crisis in prep and youth sports. where fewer and fewer people are willing to take on the thankless job of officiating games. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File) FILE - Umpire Lance Barksdale, left, talks with Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo during the fifth inning in the first game of a baseball doubleheader against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Tuesday, April 19, 2022, in Washington. America is facing a real crisis in prep and youth sports, where fewer and fewer people are willing to take on the thankless job of officiating games. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) In this 2022 image released by Kristi Moore, Moore poses for a self portrait showing her bruised left eye, in Miss. On a play at second base, Moore called the runner safe. A woman watching the game thought the runner was out. She began screaming profanities, according to Moore. "I was maybe three steps off the field and she was there," Moore recalled. "And that's when she punched me." The woman was arrested and charged with simple assault. (Kristi Moore via AP)
Column: Amid increasing abuse, officials flee youth sports