Have you ever sat in the stands at a game and heard parents make some pretty ridiculous comments?

I asked parents to share some of the comments that they’ve heard and this is what they said:

“The other team must be paying off the umpire. How much do we have to pay the refs so we can get good calls?!?!”

“Why are you putting her in? She’s even slower than the player she’s going in for!”

“You better not let me see you crying!!!”

“Wipe that smile off your face and get to work!”

“I can’t believe you missed that shot! What are you thinking???”

“What the heck is wrong with you, son? Are you that stupid? Move your butt and go get that ball!”

“Coach, what are you doing? Trying to lose the game??”

“How embarrassing! That QB is a junior still playing on Junior Varsity!”

And who wins the prize for the most ridiculous action?

The father of a varsity hockey player who was thrown out of his son’s game for shining a laser in the opposing team’s hockey goalie’s eyes!

I’m not sure whether to laugh or get mad at this behavior. It is all around us, parents and coaches, and we must stand strong and stress the importance of good sense and positive sports parenting. 

Perhaps you may ask, why do parents make these comments? The answer is simple really. Parents want their kids to succeed for a variety of reasons, but the most prominent being that they love their kids and want to see them do well. Unfortunately, that passion often pushes them to act out of line.

You may not be able to change the behavior of some sports parents and coaches, but you can strive to be a positive voice that drowns out the negativity.

 

Janis B. Meredith, sports mom and coach’s wife, writes a sports parenting blog called jbmthinks.com. Her new book 11 Habits for Happy and Positive Sports Parents is on Amazon.