Will bad behavior put an end to high school sporting activities?

A
s we embark upon a new decade, and open up conference play in basketball, the issue of the fan/official relationship will soon be on the front burner.
I feel pretty confident in saying that basketball officials are on the receiving end of the most abuse of all high school sports, and unfortunately that abuse is dwindling the number of people who are willing to don the stripes to officiate contests.
Last year, the Wyoming High School Activities Association put out an open
letter to parents and fans, asking them to “behave,” for all intents
and purposes. Ron Laird pointed
out that maintaining and replenishing the pool of officials for high school sports was becoming a real issue and the bottom line is that without referees there will be no high school sports.
So, as we enter the 2020s — which we seem to be coining “the Roaring ‘20s” in reference to this decade a century ago — we may also be embarking on a new Prohibition. However, this prohibition will not be on alcohol — it will be on fans who cannot control their behavior when it comes to berating officials. 
Currently, Wisconsin is debating a bill which will make harassing sports officials a crime punishable by up to a $10,000 fine and nine months in jail. Apparently, there are currently 21 other states including Montana, that have similar laws addressing assaulting officials, and, given
that this trend seems to be catching on, will it be long until all states
do the same?
As a former coach, parent of athletes, and a fan in general, I confess myself quite guilty of riding officials much more than was warranted, and it was seriously not until I picked up the camera that I began to refrain from continuing my less than admirable behavior. 
From my seat at the endline as a sports photographer, I have become much more attuned to the behavior of fans in the crowd, and coaches for that matter, and I must admit that when you watch it play out without the passion of a parent or a coach, the reality of that behavior is much more cringe-worthy.
I have often said, and still declare, that I couldn’t be paid enough to ref basketball because I know perfectly well what kind of abuse they sign up for when they agree to hang that whistle around their necks.
What has driven the Wisconsin State Legislature to consider this law is that there have been several situations in which officials were physically threatened by parents and/or fans, including an incident involving former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy who allegedly confronted and berated referees after his stepson’s basketball game. 
Like other states before them, Wisconsin is experiencing a decline in the number of young people who are willing to take on the inevitable harassment they will face when they sign up to coach youth or high school sports. In recognition of the declining numbers, the state is willing to up the ante for those who put the people in stripes in such a vulnerable position. 
It truly is a sad state of affairs that states are being forced to make harassing officials a crime, but what are they to do when the end of youth sports is looming due to bad behavior by parents and fans?
One hundred years ago, the U.S. Congress determined that the consumption of alcohol was destroying the family and morality of American society. We all know how well that worked out. 
Let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself and we see a prohibition against youth sports due to people being unable to control their behavior at sporting events. Let’s let the Roaring 2020s be the legacy of the roaring of the crowd for all the wonderful aspects of youth sports.