Sometimes as parents we get a little too worked up for our kids. We care so much about their success and happiness that we can turn into monsters to protect them, especially at sporting events.
I am fiercely competitive and have coached for ten years. I know what it is like to really get into a game, so into it that you might let a few choice words slip out. I have been there and I understand the struggle especially now that I am a mom.
But this struggle has caused some problems. The yelling at the injustice your little superstar’s ref has dished out has started to ruin the sports. It’s an epidemic that needs to be solved.
Bye Bye, Referees.
Last year the competitive soccer league in Idaho Falls took a major hit to their referee staff. They lost five of their youth refs due to parents screaming. That may not seem like a lot, but the struggle to get referees is real. Leagues have to beg kids, parents, coaches, and community members to ref for them. They even try to compensate them. A majority of the refs that a league gets is thirteen to eighteen-year-olds that just want a little extra cash to pay for their own sporting equipment. Those kids, however, barely last a season because of the horrible things that are said to them.
Stop being embarrassing
Don’t be that parent that has to be asked to leave the game, that’s embarrassing. Don’t be that parent that causes a game to end early because you are out of control, that’s embarrassing. Don’t be that parent that starts a fight with someone over how things are going, that’s embarrassing. Don’t be that parent that causes referees to quit which hurts the program, that’s embarrassing. As a coach, I can tell you right now it will not help your kid if you are out of control. They will not enjoy the game or play as well as you want them to.
Shut or stuff your face.
If you are someone, like me, that struggles with this, get some munchies. I always control my mouth better when it’s busy eating snacks. My go-to is popcorn and I usually pull it out when a game starts to get heated. I had a soccer coach that would eat sunflower seeds constantly to keep his control. Whatever your snack is, bring it and start chewing because we need to stay positive.
