During a softball game in June of last year, 11-year-old Brinley Stephens hit a line drive for her team. What should have been a great moment was shattered when two coaches from the opposing team stormed the field, not to talk to the umpire, but to confront Brinley directly.
Their demand, yelled in the middle of the game and in front of a crowd of parents and kids, was shocking: “I want to see birth certificates or this game's done!”
The two men were accusing Brinley, who is tall for her age at 5'10", of being too old to compete. The sudden, aggressive confrontation left the fifth-grader stunned and in tears.
An umpire calls a strike during a softball gameCanva
“It was like, scary, like, him coming at me,” Brinley later recounted to Good Morning America. “And I was just looking at him like, 'What the heck was going on?'”
Watching from the sidelines, her mother, Tracy Burchfield, felt helpless. “I was holding back my tears because I was like, 'Oh my gosh, she's out there by herself. There are these two adults confronting her,’” she said. “Thank God that our coach was there to step in between.”
Softball coach watches his playersCanva
What made the situation even more absurd was that all players, including Brinley, had already proven their age to the league before the season began. This wasn't a legitimate concern; it was a display of poor sportsmanship aimed at a child.
The Aftermath
Brinley’s coach de-escalated the on-field situation, but Burchfield reported that the other coaches continued making obscene gestures at parents after the game. Determined to see them held responsible, she took the issue to the league association.
Following an investigation, one coach was suspended for the year, while the other received a 10-day suspension and a year of probation. Benjie Hedgecock, the executive director of North American Fastpitch, made it clear who was at fault. “We are still investigating the incident. The player did nothing wrong as she is just tall…and skilled for her age,” he stated.
A softball player throws the ballCanva
After the story went public, Burchfield heard from countless other parents whose children had faced similar treatment in youth sports. It solidified her resolve to speak out.
“It doesn't take much to hurt a kid that much and make them just stop believing in themselves,” Burchfield remarked. “These kids deserve better. We as adults need to do better.”
This article originally appeared earlier this year.
A dishwasher filled with dishesCanva
Liquid fabric softener being poured into a cupCanva
Woman uses lint roolCanva
Gasoline nozzle filling up car tankCanva
A woman interacts with the cashierCanva
A "30 Rock" gif 
A woman checks her bank balanceCanva
Supportive comment from RedditImage Source: Reddit | 
Supportive comment from RedditImage Source: Reddit | 
Representative Image: Flying with children can be challenging. 
The seats in question. 
Representative Image: Expecting seats you didn't book is a bold move. 
Representative Image: The gear wasn't theirs to keep. 
Representative Image: And their studio shrank two sizes that day. 
Representative Image: Last moments with the gear.
Kids play soccer outsideCanva
An angry neighbor knocks on a doorCanva 
Kid sprayed with water hose while playing in the backyardCanva
Suspicious gif 
Man finches from pain while rubbing his jawCanva 
A doctor holds a skullCanva 
Hands massage a woman's jaw.Canva
Gif of a human doctor checking a patient
A student’s brilliant homework answer outsmarted her teacher's ridiculously sexist question