A junior high basketball matchup between Elmwood adn Rowva-Williamsfield (RW) in Williamsfield on November 17 has stirred strong reactions after a parent took to social media alleging that a small group of spectators behaved inappropriately toward young athletes, including laughing at an injured 12-year-old player.
The post, written by Kasi Landon and shared on the A Better Elmwood community page, describes what she says she witnessed or later learned from others who were present at both the 7th- and 8th-grade games.
According to Landon, the behavior of “about four parents” in the crowd crossed a serious line.
In her message, Landon wrote that these adults were “laughing at 12-year-old CHILDREN who were getting hurt during the game,” adding that they were “incredibly rude” and dismissive toward anyone who tried to intervene or ask them to stop.
She emphasized that sports at this age level should be about growth and mentorship, not hostility or mockery.
The most troubling part of Landon’s account centers on a young player who recently suffered a broken ankle, an injury that occurred before this particular matchup.
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Landon claimed the group of adults yelled for their own kids to “mop the floor with him,” a phrase she described as shocking and entirely out of bounds for youth sports.
She added that the behavior was so extreme, it gave the impression the parents “had been hitting the bottle prior to the game,” though she did not claim this as fact, only a possible explanation for behavior she labeled as “ignorant and hateful.”
Landon’s broader concern is the impact of adult behavior on children. She wrote,
“Your kids are learning by YOUR example,” “If this is what they’re seeing, they won’t have a great road ahead.”
Kasi Landon
She urged fellow adults to remember that junior high athletes are still children, still learning how to compete, cooperate, and carry themselves with sportsmanship.
The post quickly gained traction, drawing responses from community members. One commenter, James Herr, replied,
Welcome to elmwood… people are heartless over sports
James Herr
Herr later added, “It’s incompetent parents,” reinforcing the idea that the behavior described was not reflective of all spectators, but rather a few individuals acting irresponsibly.
Landon responded to Herr by doubling down on her disappointment. She wrote,
“It’s really too bad,” “It’s just junior high and these are still children. I don’t get it.”
Kasi Landon
She stressed that a youth sporting event is the last place where hostility, mockery, or parental aggression should be tolerated.
Not all feedback on the post was accusative. Another commenter, Kim Pickard Cherrington, offered a measured perspective based on her personal observations.
Cherrington explained that she was at tha game because her grandson plays for Elmwood’s 8th-grade team.
She confirmed she witnessed the injury and the reactions surrounding it, but also emphasized that most of the parents near her did not misbehave.
Cherrington wrote,
“For what it’s worth, the Elmwood parents that were sitting around me made no such kind of remarks,” “I’m not implying that this didn’t happen, but I’m sure it was a very select few and it is indeed completely out of line and uncalled for.”
Kim Pickard Cherrington
She ended her comment by wishing the injured young player a speedy recovery, offering a compassionate contrast to the behavior described in the original post.
However, the community reaction showcased that many parents understand this responsibility and want their gymnasiums to reflect it.
For now, many in Elmwood and Rowva-Williamsfield hope that publicly calling out the behavior will encourage better conduct moving forward, because the kids on the court deserve nothing less.
