Out of control sports parents

In My Humble Opinion
1

So this afternoon, we went to my niece’s volleyball game. She’s in the 8th grade. The team is, well, terrible (poor kids). We go and yell encouragement whenever they do anything right. :slight_smile:

There was a dad there who not only screams at his own girl when she does anything “wrong” (like busting her hump and skinning her legs to get to a ball but missing by millimeters), but shouts at the other girls, too, and at the coach.

I am amazed at this man, and three major points come to mind.

  1. It’s a game, not a war. Really, no one will die.

  2. They’re THIRTEEN, and still learning the game. Can we please cut them a small amount of slack?

  3. He’s a lawyer in the small town where my niece attends school (close to where we live). Any respect I had for him bottomed out today when I observed his complete lack of perspective. I cannot imagine that I am the only person that has felt this way after watching him in action.

To my mind, sports at the middle-school level are about learning to show up, respect your coach, work hard, and work as a team. I don’t think it’s so critical if they win all their games, or even most of them. Yes, it’s demoralizing to lose all the time, but whatever would help that, it isn’t screaming at them.

Is this guy a certified nut, or do I just not care enough about sports?

2

Certified nut. My younger brother played high school baseball this past summer, and I saw some of the types you’re talking about at a game from time to time. The umpires there didn’t tolerate anyone being abusive of them, or of the players; those overzealous parents got a warning, and if they didn’t shut up, they got thrown out of the game. I’m surprised no one has said anything to the guy you’re talking about. That kind of behavior shouldn’t be tolerated.