Sit at a game, watch a practice or attend a weekend tournament – you’ll more than likely find yourself annoyed at another sports parent. In every “team parents” group, there always seems to be someone who gets on your nerves, even if it’s just a little.

After being a sports mom for 21 years and hearing from many others during the 10 years I’ve been blogging, I’ve concluded that these are the most annoying things other sports parent do:

•  Brag incessantly about how their child did this or that, or how well they played. Yeah, I know your child is good, but I really don’t need to hear about it all the time.

•  Coach their kid during the game or practice. If you’re not the coach, then don’t be the coach! It’s distracting to the players and it’s irritating to the actual coach.

•  Coach their kid immediately after the game. I see parents who put their arms around their kids and start coaching right away as they head to the car. Parents, you don’t always need to be nagging your kid about how they play. A simple, “I loved watching you play” is really all they need to hear at that time.

•  Yell at the coach from the sidelines or bleachers. After 28 years as a coach’s wife, I find this especially annoying. I don’t care if you are a pro athlete, yelling at the coach never helped him do his job better. If you really want to help, volunteer to coach.

•  Yell angrily at players during the game. What are you doing? Get aggressive! Those are a few of the many phrases I’ve heard yelled at athletes during a game. Ranting at players doesn’t help them play better and it can be very insulting to any parents who may be listening to you in the bleachers.

•  Influence other parents to join their sympathy group. If you have a problem with the coach, then take it to the coach. There’s no need to garner support among other parents when you have an issue – that only stirs up dissension on the team.

•  Complain to the coach about their kid’s position or playing time. When a parent whines to the coach and succeeds in getting his way, it means another child is pushed aside. I’ve had this happen to my child in a high school sport. A mom complained to the coach about her daughter’s lack of playing time and as a result, my daughter’s playing time was cut in half. If my child’s playing time or position is changed, it should be because the coach feels it’s better for the team, not because a parent complained.

You may be thinking, “I don’t know any sports parents like this!” If that’s the case, I encourage you to think again because the reason for this may be because it’s YOU.

Janis Meredith is a family coach who wants to help all parents raise champions. You can find out more at rcfamilies.com.