Soccer Parents and Their Children

A few times during the summer, I would go and watch my cousin play soccer. I think he is a very talented player and if he continues playing well, it could be possible that he could play in a professional league in the near future. But all too often, I see parents of other children playing soccer constantly engaging in unacceptable behaviour, such as yelling at the referee, or other parents.

I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen parents yell at the referees, at the coaches, at other parents, and also at their own young children just for playing a sport that they love to play. I’ve seen ejections of parents from the field, as well as confrontations with the referee, and with other parents. I’ve even seen actual fistfights take place which had to have police involvement. Forget what you hear about “hooliganism” on shows like “The Real Football Factories”. These are the real nutcases.

Do these parents honestly think they are creating a positive environment for their children by constantly yelling and swearing at people?  They are only ruining the experience for the child. Seeing them get ejected from the field because of their behaviour is not only embarrassing for the parent, but for the child as well. Sometimes, when I watch confrontations occur between parents of opposing teams, I find it shocking that these people are acting like the children, rather than the real children themselves, over a meaningless soccer result. It’s just a game parents, it’s not the freaking World Cup Final. Let the referee and the coaches do what they are supposed to do, and more importantly, let the kids play.

A lot of these parents who would yell at other people on the field and confront others look at their child or children as “winning lottery tickets” rather than actual human beings with feelings. They are obsessed with winning and would look to profit off their kid’s potential success, and I find it utterly sad. I understand that it means a lot to parents to see their son or daughter play, no matter what sport. But at the end of the day, it’s just a game. There are lessons to be learned by all who participate and attend, whether if the team wins or loses.