to hate most football parents?

[seeker]

It doesn't matter what the coachs do to try to make kids football fun and non stressful, and to teach good sportsmanship and manners, the parents always ruin it, by shouting, being aggressive, expecting too much of their kids, second guessing the ref, shouting instructions that contradict the ones the coach is giving and giving their kids the message that it's winning that matters and who cares how you win. Grrrrrrr.

Really lucky where we are. Our football club is very family orientated with siblings all playing in various age groups. Everyone gets a chance. Everyone is given encouragement. Parents are lovely in a non-flashy car kind of way. Those with the cash sponsor the team in a very humble way. We do roll our eyes sometimes at the behaviour of the parents at other clubs, but on the whole the Respect campaign is working in a positive way at a local club level - hence the reason the coach and ref felt able and justified to comment on the behaviour of one of our players.

Actually, I remember my uncle sadly telling the same stories, 25-30 yrs ago, about Little League Baseball and Tee-ball (pre-Baseball sport) parents. My Uncle is very sports mad and competitive, but Tee-ball is for 4-6 yr olds, ffs.

DS2 goes to a premiership academy. The parents are allowed to watch but cannot shout etc. They focus on developing skills rather than who scores the most goals.

DS1 has stopped playing football now for his team because it was just so bloody competitive and well, awful. We just wanted him to have some exercise and run around and enjoy himself. Parents were gloating and boasting and when one got picked to go to a local academy (lots of teams near here) they'd get all jealous and snipey. They obviously think that their 7 year old is the next Wayne Rooney. Most of the parents were fine, lovely but there was a nasty undercurrent and some vocal parents just living through their boys. 7 year olds!
DS1 wasn't the most gifted at football, but now he has lost his love of playing the game. Which is a shame.

All of the games we'd be told that such and such scout from x y z team was there. Which amped up the parents more.

I wouldn't bother with Rugby though, I'd end up on the pitch dragging the opposition off my beloved son, I watched my younger brother play once and was gobsmacked at how hard they tackled.
Oh and there were some rather lovely cars at football practice too, even a brand new Bentley Really odd to look at what type of sport has the wealthiest parents!

That's terrible Lizzylou. I have seen parents slagging off other people's children at DS1's matches. The father of one of DS1's friends laughed and shook his head at every mistake the boys (excluding his own child) made at a recent match. I had to move I was so furious. The dad is a arrogant wanker.

Football parents are very strange animals. At home and in the street they are as nice as pie, but put them on the touchline watching their child play football and they turn into a monster, wanting the rite to abuse anything and anyone who prevents their child winning a football match.

It's almost a matter or life and death for them, both Mums or Dads can be the same. Instead of letting the children play the game and being there to enjoy the spectable of a football match, they want to join in and be part of it.

If they see anyone doing anything, right or wrong, which prevents their child from winning they feel the need to abuse them.

And these are the nice happy-go-lucky people we see at the school gate or at the local paper shop, though put them at a game and they are like Jekyll and Hyde.

They are only like this because we let them.

www.keelbyunited.co.uk

Try Rugby -much more civilised. Still very competitive but no poor behaviour from parents.

Yes, I have heard this said of football parents before. Competition is by its nature selfish and greedy. BUT parents could teach their darlings to play within the spirit of the game. ( topically, not have more than one sweetheart at a time.)

I object to being described as a strange animal. I behave impeccabaly at all times, our league is very civilised and we cheer for ANY player who makes a good tackle, scores a goal, defends well, etc.

I love seeing kids running around enjoying themselves, couldn't care less who wins.

Katie, very pleased to hear someone is like you. But it wont spread to the Prem. Although, I suppose some players play to the rules and others think cheating is part of the game. Even some just lack self control.

I dont know in what league your children play but ours is not full of strange animals shouting insults from the side lines.
We cheer and clap even for the other team if they score an exceptional goal or the keep makes a great save.
We came out in the top five of the fair play league this season so we must be doing something right.

DH is league CPO, we have a zero tolerance approach to abuse from sidelines. Over zealous parents are shunned.....

I don't think it's limited to football parents, though, it's football fans in general.
One of my friends' husband is in a very very responsible and well-paid professional job. But he turns into a disgusting, vile, verbally abusive person when he's watching football in his living room. Yet he couldn't be a nicer person the rest of the time.

Here, in the west of Scotland, where the rangers/celtic divide is huge, I also regularly here extremely intelligent people mouthing off about Huns and Tims (and a lot worse too) simply when talking about the other team.
At the end of the day, it's a game, ffs.

There is a personality link to the people who shout at junior football matches and those people who suffer from road rage. It turns out that if you get wound up by people not indicating when turning or pulling into the wrong lane etc, then you are the type of person who is much more likely to shout abuse at kids football matches than those who don't.

I think that makes sense, there has been research done that helps to prove it.

Sorry for posting links, but you'll get the idea :
keelbyunited.co.uk/blog/Under_13_1011_Blog_RoadRage.html

yep my kids ply hockey for this reson ,the football teams are ruled by pushy parents and bullying kids in my area