Oregon Coaches Question 11-Year-Old’s Age, Leaving Her in Tears

ASTORIA, Ore. — An 11-year-old softball player, Brinley Stephens, became the center of an emotional incident during a game on May 11. Coaches from the opposing team confronted her mid-game, questioning her age and height, which left her visibly upset.

Brinley, who plays for the Astoria Future Fish, had just hit a line drive when the coaches accused her of being too old to compete. One coach was heard shouting, “I want to see birth certificates or this game’s done!”

Her mother, Tracy Burchfield, witnessed the confrontation and said it was heart-wrenching to see her daughter targeted by adults. “I was holding back my tears… There were these two adults confronting her. Thank God that our coach was there to step in between,” Burchfield said.

Brinley stands nearly 5 feet, 10 inches tall and has proven her age alongside her teammates before the season began. Despite being accustomed to comments about her height, Brinley described this incident as particularly frightening. “It was like, scary, like him coming at me. I was just looking at him like, ‘What the heck was going on?'” she recalled.

After the verbal altercation, Burchfield claimed that the opposing coaches continued their poor behavior, making inappropriate gestures towards parents post-game. “We were upset, but we took it to the association, hoping that they do better and reprimand him for his actions,” she said.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, about 70% of children stop playing sports by age 13, often due to adult pressure. Brian Barlow, who runs the Facebook page Offside, which highlights bad behavior at youth sports events, stressed the need for adults to foster a supportive environment. “Sometimes losing can teach valuable lessons. We need to allow our kids to be successful where they are,” he said.

In response to the incident, one assistant coach was suspended for the year, while another received a 10-day suspension with a year of probation. Tournament organizers, represented by executive director Benjie Hedgecock, stated, “We are still investigating the incident… the player did nothing wrong as she is just tall and skilled for her age.”

Burchfield expressed hope that the situation would encourage adults to show more compassion towards young athletes. “It doesn’t take much to hurt a kid that much and make them stop believing in themselves. We as adults need to do better,” she urged.