So this is where youth sports are headed?

Seriously?

A football game played between Marble Falls and John Jay high schools recently resulted in two John Jay players attacking a referee in a clearly premeditated act. The safety made a beeline toward the unsuspecting official upon the snap of the ball and drilled him from behind.

The official’s head snapped back with the force of the blow. After he crumpled to the turf, a second player speared him in the back.

It’s easy to fluff this off as an isolated incident, as something to view on YouTube, shake our heads and move on.

But it’s not.

There have been other physical attacks on officials in recent years.

Two soccer officials have been fatally injured within the past three years.

Four years ago, a youth football official was attacked by a player and coaches, suffering numerous injuries as a result.

Other incidents have occurred involving basketball and wrestling officials. It seems that no sport is immune to this type of criminal behavior.

And that’s what it is. Criminal behavior.

There’s no hiding behind the athletic shield when it comes to this stuff. These attacks are assault, pure and simple, and should be treated as such.

These two football players in Texas should be expelled from school and be charged for this crime, through the juvenile system or otherwise. There were thousands of witnesses, let alone the fact the attack was caught on video.

The question that needs to be asked here is why. Why does stuff like this happen? If coaches and/or players react this violently to an official making “bad” calls, they shouldn’t be involved in youth athletics.

If a racial slur on the part of a referee caused such retaliation, it’s still wrong. Report such language to the head official, an athletic director, game manager, whoever.

Physically attacking an official — obviously — is the wrong way to solve such issues.

It’s bad enough that high school basketball officials and youth baseball umpires have to put up with verbal tirades from irate fans in the stands, or from coaches themselves.

These events are, after all, an extension of the classroom — extra-curricular activities, if you will.

No one yells at the band director if a trumpet player hits a wrong note. I’m assuming French Club meetings are rather docile in nature.

Unfair comparisons? OK ... maybe.

Where competition is involved — especially between rival schools — the atmosphere may tend to get a little heated.

Players, coaches and fans may grow frustrated over seeing yellow flags on the field, too many free throws on one side of the court or some questionable balls and strikes, safe and out calls.

The lesson to be learned from Texas is a simple one: Get a grip.

It’s sports. It’s a game. It’s supposed to be fun.

Besides, once you “lose it” and do something like those two kids did?

You can’t take it back.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle