Children’s baseball games can bring out the best, and sometimes the worst, in parents who watch their kids play the game.

What You Need To Know

  • Umpire Reinaldo Mora says he was hit by a father whose son played in a high school game

  • Jorge Aponte Gonzalez was charged with battery by Osceola County Sheriff’s Department

  • One Central Florida sports youth league is trying to create a more positive experience at games for parents and kids

According to Osceola County officials, Jorge Aponte Gonzalez is accused of hitting an umpire after a game that his son had played in last month. As a result, Gonzalez is now facing charges for battery.

The county’s camera system captured the event as it unfolded.

After a game at Liberty High School, Gonzalez allegedly came over to umpire  Reinaldo Mora and hit him in the head. 

Mora has been umpiring in the area since 1992 and says he has never experienced such an aggressive act during his time on the field.

“I felt the hit — the only pain I had was in my temple,” he said. “Because he did not hit me in the face. He hit me in the upper area, basically here in the temple, that is what knocked me down.”

Experts say parents fighting with umpires, with other parents and even with kids has been a growing problem across the country. 

But one Central Florida company is trying to change the behavior of parents and players at games.

"You know that’s what creates the problem in Osceola is when we start focusing on what is going wrong and shift our focus on what is going right," said Katie Tadal of I 9 sports. "And making it about the kids and about them having fun, that’s a win for everybody.”

Tadal and her husband have organized thousands of games across the area.

Instead of games only focusing on winning and losing, her events highlight nine main principals that all the kids and parents must play by.

“That’s why we work so hard on our fields to build a culture that feels like a safe learning environment,” said Tadal.

This includes focusing on a spirit of good sportsmanship from kids and parents.

Parents make a pledge and sign an agreement to maintain a positive sideline culture at all sporting events.

There are also awards in all sports for players with the best sportsmanship.

Mora plans to put the incident behind him and hopes teaching good sportsmanship to parents and kids changes the sporting culture in the future.