It’s no hidden fact pageant parents are viewed as crazy…now before you get all over me for generalizing I know they aren’t all crazy and go to extremes. Today, however, I was sitting at my son’s soccer game and a few instances got me to thinking pageant parents aren’t the only crazies. I realized watching some of these parents today they could go head to head in the nutso department against some of the pageant parents out there. Pageant parents are notorious for glamming up little girls in a way that isn’t becoming but I’ve noticed sports parents take a different stance and are verbally insane.
There was a man I could have punched in the face sitting next to me today who won biggest jerk and potty mouth at a kids game award. Quite an accomplishment I’d say. Of course it’s normal for parents to get into the game, heck even I do that. Yell for the team to run that way, get the ball back, turn it around…you get my drift. It’s even normal to yell a kids name (not meanly of course) like this “Gabriel go get the ball, Gabriel pull back, Gabriel kick a goal“. All normal! I can even swallow the parents who are a bit peeved at the ref (to a certain point). It’s all part of getting into the sport.
What really gets me to the point of almost forgetting I am a christian is parents that live through their child (whether in pageants or on a field), parents who belittle other children and parents who forget this is a game for goodness sakes. The parent sitting next to us today was cussing, yelling at the ref, yelling at the kids. This parent even went as far as saying the following phrases:
“Kick the ball, quit being a wuss” (not even remotely directed at their child)
“What are you doing, kick the ball away from the goal not out of bounds, don’t be an idiot” (which our coach teaches them to do in certain situations FYI)
“You got three of you down on one end of the field just standing there (interjecting to say they were playing defense and they were supposed to be behind the line), that’s not how soccer is played I’ve seen it on t.v. s*** man“
All this was not in the tone of excited parent but rather annoyed/pissed off. Well I could go on but the parent got pretty colorful so we’ll leave it at those examples. I just sat, in shock and reminded myself I am a person who is trying to set an example and to keep my cool. It saddened me for whoever their kid was. I mean if they are like that to children who aren’t theirs what do they treat their child like? Of course a point came to mind that maybe they treated the other kids like that to deflect attention off their own child if they weren’t doing that great. I don’t know but I do know it’s was uncalled for how this man was talking to yelling at the kids.
While I am on the subject of crazy, last week one coach was trying to get in a fight with some parents. The opposing coach had to essentially usher crazy coach off the field, reminding them that there were kids around and this was for fun. It was so sad. I wonder when sports got to be like this. I am one who says it’s okay to get into the game, get angry for a minute if something goes wrong, get excited when something goes right but for goodness sakes quit being such a crap head to the kids.
It’s only a sport, just like pageants are only a pageant. That is something that needs to be remembered by some!
It has me wondering when did sports parents become as bad but in a different way than some of those crazy pageant parents?
Toni Patton
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Toni we have parents like that on our soccer fields too! What’s more suprising is it happens more on our U6 (4-6 yr olds) than on our U8 (8-10 yr olds) leagues. Us moms typically exchange words between ourselves but loud enough for them to hear like “geez their only 5” or “I didn’t know we were playing in a championship game today.” My thoughts are they are children, let then enjoy what childhood they have. I spent my teen years wishing I was an adult and now that I’m here it feels like I wasted time I could of enjoyed.
AMEN to everything you just said!
Agree that both can go overboard. Parents need to support their kids, and not live through them.
Yes! THIS too!!
You must have been at our game!
LOL I think parents are getting more crazy in sports than pageants lately.
OMG that is horrible. I LOVED our soccer league last year (AYSO) because they have a no coaching from the sideline rule so in theory people should only be cheering, postive reinforcement. Same league this year but the parents aren’t following the rule so much. I loved it last year because while of course you cheer loudest for your kids teach when it was only positive parents were really supportive of ALL of the kids and it was just a much friendlier sideline. But I have never heard anyone talk like that. We have found the biggest jerks at basketball thus far. But not like that, yelling and directly and just constant yelling at their kid but never name calling.
And our coach last year was thrilled when defenders kicked it out of bounds if they were moving the ball toward the goal.
It really just upsets me for the poor kids having to hear this parent dog them out. I was appalled.
We’re not “sports parents” by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, my children JUST started Karate a few weeks ago and my daughter in Cheer. I’ve said the “ugly” come out in sports parent and sometimes I just want to scream, ‘They’re kids. Let them be kids. Let them laugh, and fall down, and make mistakes. It’s normal.”
I pray we’re balanced parents in whatever our children choose to do.
Amen amen and amen very good advice dear friend!
This post is right on. My sister played and excelled in sports throughout middle school and high school – of course, we were at every game. She ended up playing hockey for a while – with a lot of boys – and was tougher and better than them (perhaps I’m partial) – but they were all friends and it was so fun to watch them skate around and pal off together. Their parents though – and this wasn’t even varsity or through school – a rec league! When certain parents would yell you could see their kids’ embarrassment! I felt so bad! Its always better to keep it positive!
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