A referee administrator for youth soccer in Beverly Hills says he is resigning for a simple reason: He hates many of the parents and their entitled attitudes. In an emailed resignation letter obtained by the Ankler, Avery Krut of the Beverly Hills branch of the American Youth Soccer Organization tells parents and coaches that he is stepping down as referee administrator and game scheduler because "I have come to despise so many of you and I hold so many of you in contempt." He tells the rich and famous parents: "Your behavior on the sidelines has, for far too long, been disrespectful and you are damaging the children. You have said nasty things to and about too many referees and it must come to an end. I can no longer be involved with so many people who feel so entitled."
Krut, whose unpaid position involved overseeing other referees, tells the Guardian that the letter, in which he denounces "despicable" behavior, is a call for a more civilized society. "The idea that parents have the right to yell at referees, what kind of message are they sending their kids? People are channeling their inner Donald Trump," he says. "They have no filter. Something has to change because we are damaging the children." In his email, Krut says he will continue as a referee, though that now seems unlikely. "He certainly wanted to go out with a bang," AYSO national executive director Mike Hoyer tells LA Weekly, adding that while he sympathizes with Krut's experiences, he doesn't agree with how the message was delivered. (This referee sued a radio station that told fans to harass him.)