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Competitive Soccer Parents
"I see parents vicariously living through their kid’s on-field accomplishments, or at the very least, using the game as a place to release all their pent-up energy and anger."
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to this Commentary!
By David Suitts
I’ve been a youth soccer referee for seven years. Officiating kid’s matches is a good way to make money and help out the local soccer club, but it also shows me how over-the-top many parents and coaches are when it comes to their kids’ games.
At one game for girls under 11, I almost threw out a coach who would not stop screaming. At half time, I spoke to the pathetic coach, reminding him that I was the ref and would not tolerate his continuous shouting, especially since 10-years-olds were playing, not the US national team. The coach took off his sunglasses and angrily replied that he would keep yelling because I was keeping his team—and daughter—from winning. But he must have realized how ridiculous he was behaving, because he was much calmer the second half.
This example of overly-competitive coaching is simply one among many. Every week, I see coaches who do anything to win. I see parents vicariously living through their kid’s on-field accomplishments, or at the very least, using the game as a place to release all their pent-up energy and anger. For Pete’s sake, let’s all remember that it’s only a game – a kid’s game!
- Youth Radio Atlanta is produced in cooperation with WABE and funded in part by The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.
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