Case Study of the Week: Dealing with Angry Parents

Oct 21, 2024

Sports and Entertainment Marketing

You are to assume the role of the recreation manager for Grant City Parks & Recreation, an organization run by the city. The director of youth sports wants you to address the ongoing issue of hostile parents at youth sporting events run by the organization.

Grant City Parks & Recreation’s (GCPR) goal is to create community through people, parks and programs. One program is youth sports. The director of youth sports (judge) has organized several athletic teams for various youth age groups to participate in, including soccer, softball, basketball and flag football. Along with offering youth sports, GCPR also recruits adult volunteers from the community to serve as coaches, referees and umpires.

One ongoing issue across all youth sports is unruly loud adult spectators that scream during the games, not as encouragement to the young players, but to criticize the volunteer coaches, referees and umpires. There have been instances of angry spectators approaching the adult volunteers and yelling, screaming and demeaning them. This has resulted in a decline in adult volunteers.

The director will soon be producing next season’s youth sports guide and registration packet. The director has asked you how to effectively address the ongoing issue of hostile spectators at the games in the sports guide and registration packet. The director wants you to keep in mind that the spectators are also GCPR’s customers, as they are the parents of children participating in the sports programs.

Questions?

Randi Bibiano
Competitive Events Specialist
randi@deca.org

Randi Bibiano is DECA's competitive events specialist. In this role, she conceptualizes and authors role-play scenarios for the collegiate and high school division’s competitive events programs. She also manages DECA's online competitive events and serves as a liaison to volunteer efforts at DECA's educational conferences.

Discussion Questions

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Classroom Connection

Career CLuster:

Marketing

Instructional Area(s):

Customer Relations

Performance Indicators:

Interpret business policies to customers/clients
Build and maintain relationships with customers
Write informational messages
Handle difficult customers