Scott Carpenter, for one, said he took Rudy from Newbury Park High School because he was worried that his son, also an aspiring baseball pitcher, had irreconcilable differences with Lee and school administrators. He has found a school where the son will shine. "Believe me, I'd much rather just sit in the stands and root for the team," said Scott. "But when I see a situation where my son is being hurt, I have to act." For better or for worse, the times have changed.

"Every day, we get complaints from parents. And that's even before school opened," said Robert Ferguson, assistant athletic director at Royal High School and the former boys' and girls' volleyball coach. "It's really become a very volatile situation. We need the support of parents. Without that support, we'd have a difficult time funding our programs. But many parents are crossing the line."

Said St. Bonaventure athletic director Marc Groff: "There's no doubt parental complaints have increased significantly over the past seven to ten years. I think the proliferation of travel teams and club teams have changed things for parents. They make such a financial investment in sports they want the results. There seems to be more pressure on everyone, including the coaches and administrators."

While Lee's case may be an example of parental pressure to the nth degree, there are plenty of everyday examples of parents gone a little wild.

Here are a few:

• Buena High girls' volleyball coach Jack Richards, a police officer with the Ventura Police Department, said his team had just finished a Channel League game a couple years back when he was approached by a father angry over his daughter's lack of playing time.