Teen referee left in tears after appalling parent abuse at junior basketball game

The mother of a teenage basketball referee has contacted Neil Mitchell about appalling parent abuse incident that left her daughter in tears.

Linda says a 50-year-old father encouraged his son’s under-16s basketball team to mock her 19-year-old daughter.

“The parent incited the team members, his son being one of them, to clap her after the game to humiliate her because they’d lost by two points,” she said.

“Once she said ‘Do you mind? This is my place of work, can you please have some respect?’ he told her that maybe she should learn how to do her job.

“She … started crying and only then did people come up and support her.

“He proceeded to abuse the supervisor, got thrown out, is being reported, but it’s an under-16s game of basketball!”

Linda says the league her daughter umpires in are “30 per cent down” on referees, and struggling to find new ones because of the abuse they cop.

Concerning incidents of abuse against umpires at junior sports games are mounting, with the Herald Sun today reporting junior football coaches have been warned to lay off umpires after a serious of concerning abusive incidents.

Press PLAY below to hear Linda tell Neil Mitchell about the abuse her daughter copped