What is wrong with some parents?

R

red_mct

Cathlete
Yesterday my son had a soccer game. He is in the "under 7" league, so most of the games are cute and fun and the parents are all very supportive. However, yesterday we played this really obnoxious team. The coach could only be described as a "metrosexual." They showed up 10 minutes late and then proceeded to crucify our team. I am not joking; our team is pretty good but they are only 7! So they are not all that and a bag of baked chips. But this guy had two really awesome players and he let them just mow the kids down. It was SO AWFUL and our normal coach was not there, unfortunately, just the Asst Coach, and he didn't know what to do. Normally when WE are in that kind of situation, our coach pulls our better players back so as not to demoralize the other team. I mean, it's supposed to be fun.

Anyway, so the parents were worse. There was this one little girl on the team who kept getting in the faces of our kids after every goal they scored (I think they had about 15! It was horrible!) and going, "THAT WAS NUMBER x!" Her mother was sitting next to me smirking the entire time and it was all I could do not to knock her right out of her chair!

I just don't understand what you are teaching your kids by allowing that behavior. The kid wasn't even a particularly good player, she just happens to be on a team with two really good kids and a coach who is reliving the glory of his high school days.

Ugh. Thanks for the vent!

Marie
 
Is this league organized by a park district or community? If so, I would call the person who is in charge and relay what has happened. I am betting yours would not be the first complaint. Kids this age should be taught good sportsmanship on top of skills, and I am betting the organizers of the league would not be happy about this behaviour.
 
Hey marie,

We had a similiar experience when my kids were playing peewee softball. These kids are only 5 or 6 years old. Well we had a game and my son was running to third base when the girl on the other team threw the ball right at his back. My son stopped and started crying. I couldn't believe this was allowed. parents on our team were mad as fire! And to top it all off, a parent from the other team shouted "if he can't take it he shouldn't be playing!" Now I am the big mouth, all I could do is stand in amazement! Well my quiet dh stood up and told him to come over here and say that! Well all of the parents on our team including myself mouths dropped. He is usually so quiet. Well those *llholes didn't come over.


Sorry I went babbling on, but I know what you mean. They take a fun sport for younger ones and turn it into something they wish they could of been.


Sometimes the parents are the ones out of control in sport events.



kim
 
My mom lives right next door to an elementary school/field. They have the soccer games right outside her door in the fall so I would wake up on the weekends to the yellin' and screamin' of these crazy parents and coaches. I hope my kid gets involved in sports and I will support him and cheer him on if he does...BUT I won't force him and I won't act crazy like that if he does! You are right, Marie, it IS supposed to be fun...ESPECIALLY at such a young age. I hate people like that with a passion! Plenty of times I felt like hopping the school fence and punching a couple of the adults out! LOL :p
 
:( So sorry for the children. My DH coached my son's little league team last season - my DH has played his whole life and still plays himself. Whenever one of the parents got out of control, he would always stop everything and tell the parent "If you think you can do better, please feel free to come out on the field and help." They always apologized and refused.

We believe people who behave horribly usually have never played organized sports themselves. One time the coach of the opposing team got so mad at his player striking out that he threw the bat across homeplate into the opposing team's (our) dugout. He almost hit kids. Our other coach happens to be a commissioner for the league and told him if he ever did that again, he'd never coach again. I think he should have been harsher.

I always think that the kids start out fine, it's the parents who are out of control. My DD swims competitively, and I can't even count the times I've seen parents running alongside the pool screaming at their child while they're trying to swim. Even worse, screaming at them after their race. It always makes me laugh when my son (who's seven) tries to recite his swim times and my DH stops him and asks "Did you make it ALL the way across the pool? Ok, you did great." Now my son gets it and laughs. And he's not stressed, he's very relaxed before his meets, which is the way it should be. Sports should be fun, not an ordeal, right? Have a great day /karen
 
I have probably a decade under my belt with my daughter's soccer life. She loves it, we love it but I cannot stand some teams and parents. I'm at the point now that I always have my iPod with me and if it's one of those horror teams/parents -- I just plug myself to my headphone. Hang in there, most of the time it's real fun. Mari
 
I can be such a smart-arse that I might have said (loudly enough so that a bunch of parents around me from both teams could hear), "That little girl sure likes to point out that she can count. Too bad she can't score any of those points herself rather than ride the coattails of the other kids on her team who can actually play. Then I might be impressed." or "Gee, I wonder who raised that little girl to have such poor sportsmanship? How embarrassing."

I've always said my mouth is going to get me in trouble some day.
 
The parents are just as childish when they have their own leagues - I work with a corporate sports program and you would not believe the juvenile behavior and whining exhibited by grownups!
Just Do It! :)
 
Isn't that somewhat the nature of "competitve" sports? Sure, they can teach cooperation and teamwork, but it's always "against" someone else that you are trying to "beat."
 
At younger ages the emphasis should be on learning the skills of the sport. Around here, a score is not even kept. A 7 year old should not be taunting another 7 year old about a score. By the time they are in middle school, they are better able to handle the competition end. There is such a difference of abilities when they are tiny. Some kids are more competitive, others are clover pickers. If you make it too competitive when they are young, the clover pickers will leave. I have seen the clover pickers grow up to be good athletes if given the chance.

Also, the behaviour that is described here should not be accepted at any age. Coaches should not run up the score. Our HS soccer coach last year actually asked the boys not to score in the second half. He pulled all starters and did not play them at all, and asked the other kids to work hard on ball handling skills.

In Illinois there is even a mercy rule in HS football. If one team is up by more than 40 at the half, the clock is run in the second half, no stopping.

Humiliation is not part of a game.
 
I'm with you Catwoman. My DH would have to sit on me to stop me from speaking up in a situation like that. What a bunch of jerks.
 
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