To think it's mad standing at the side of football training in the cold, wet and dark?

[RessicaJabbit]

Kids football group.

All the parents stand around outside for an hour.

Right outside a warm cafe...

AIBU to be the only one who sits inside, reads my book and enjoys a hot drink?

I have invited them to join me.

To each their own surely?

I stay out in the cold and watch.

I’ve done it for years with DS, you get used to it! It is a bit mad, but I enjoy it

Each to their own!

Personally I would stand and watch whatever the weather (i was that parent) but I love watching and playing sports. I wouldn't judge anyone for sitting in a cafe though , some parents used to stay in their cars . Mine doesn't do football anymore and has switched to summer sports so its a win win for me!

There’s no way in the 1980’s my mum would have ever hung around to watch me do a sport - especially training ( not a match ) that feels particularly tragic. Unfortunately it does extend to indoor sports too. I play tennis in a club and many of the parents sit courtside for the children’s lessons when there is a nice cafe they could sit in onsite. It’s not as if they even spend much time watching - they’re mostly on their phones. It seems a bit performative to me.

Since you don't think you're BU why did you ask?

We have 3 coaches... 🤷‍♀️

My son used to play rugby. For years every Thursday night and early Sunday off we went to practise and matches. I used to volunteer to work in the little clubhouse kitchen and make tea, coffee and bacon sandwiches for the parents and (with others) a meal for 40 hungry boys on match day. I was warm while the other parents watched. My son was happy I was there (his father, who loved rugby but never played, passed away when he was small) and knew I was working, but I missed any of his good tackles or scoring. He’d come in afterwards all excited and ask ‘did you see me…’? And no I didn’t. So I wish I didn’t volunteer every week.
Fine to stay warm during practise, but kids want their parents attention, not just a taxi service, so matches you must watch.

I did it for years and years. As a parent, team rep, coach then manager.

All the parents stood in all weathers to cheer their child on. I was so proud of them all, even if, as a team, we were a bit rubbish.

Of course its mad, but its the kind of thing we do for our kids. I never enjoyed being on the sidelines watching my youngest play football in winter but he was always made up when I cheered him on and I could see him now and again looking for me to give me a smile or a sneaky wave!
He would ask me a 100 questions afterwards such as ' did you see that tackle".
I didnt love being in the cold but loved how he loved us being there.

It was never my favourite bit of parenting but it's for the child, to support and encourage them.
You aren't watching if you're inside reading your book.

YANBU. My son is 7, and completely comfortable with being dropped off then collected again an hour later. Zero need for me to hang about in the dark and cold.

I’d do it for a match and have stood and shivered in some truly awful weather over the years. From 33 degree heat to blizzards! But I’m quite happy to sit in the car with a Costa for training, although I do like to pop out for the last ten minutes to see the in squad game and pretend I was all the whole time.

Our two have 3 hours of training a week, plus a weekend match. No cosy cafes here sadly. I'm not gonna lie, I'm looking forward to them being old/sensible enough to get to and from training themselves.

I used to stand on the sidelines and watch too, my son and then daughter liked seeing me there and appreciated knowing I was watching or there if they needed me.

When it was really cold, I used to tuck a small hot water bottle into my coat! It was wonderful.

Not gonna lie, this kind of shit makes me SO glad I have kids who never wanted to play football, or do ANY outdoor activity (barely any sports actually!) They were more into the arts, theatre, drama, music, art, creative writing, and suchlike. No-one had to be outside, and we didn't have to be at the classes. We dropped them off, went off somewhere for an hour/hour and a half, (or back home if it was close enough) then went back for them!

I know TWO women right now who both have a son (each) who does football, (aged 11 and 12,) and the mums are so miserable moping around in the dark, hanging around damp and soggy football pitches, freezing to fucking death, and hating every minute. (3 evenings a week, and Sunday morning!) And there is no end to it, as both have another son, who is 5-6 years younger, who also wants to play football.

They post photos of their sons, with 'oh Josh got Man Of The Match' today, proud mummy la la la!' Most people know she is dying inside, at having to go to all the bloody football matches. (The dads are rarely on the scene, and they never go.)

Same with bloody ice hockey. I know 2 women - one has 2 sons, one has 3 sons, and they were ALL into ice hockey. The poor women lived and breathed ice hockey for about 15 years. (The dads were about in these cases, but the mums were dragged along all the time too. Not much choice, unless she wanted to spend 3 evenings a week, and every weekend alone...)

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I used to watch training when they were wee.

I'm with you. Id be in the warm cafe! (Thats probably why football training is one of my husbands jobs)

Maybe they enjoy watching the training? This has to be the obvious answer doesn’t it? In lieu of any obvious guns to their heads?

I used to ride when I was a kid; my mum watched every lesson and every competition I was in, no matter the weather. When my dad took me (rarely) he stayed in the car. My mum enjoyed watching, my dad didn’t. It’s really as simple as that.

DH always watches DS rugby training, he wants to see how he's getting on, give him tips, check he's being respectful to the coach etc? It really pays off having parents who support, DH will put the time in to practise skills with DS.

I do the same with the DC music practice. It makes a big difference.

Tragic to watch your kid doing something they enjoy?

Its the club's policy. That someone stays during training and matches (safeguarding). They had a problem in the past with a coach 20 + years ago, so although they are all DBS checked they dont take any chances.
Also its a large team. Over 15 at a time at training. So the coaches can't leave them in a emergency situation.

@RessicaJabbit Yanbu. I wish more mums dared to think about their own comfort (me included). Luckily my sons don't like football. I played since I was 5 and my mum never went to a game or training because my dad actually enjoyed watching the team (not just me) and chat with the other parents. He didn't have a lot of friends so I think it was an important social thing for him as well (even though he did and do love football).

It’s club policy for the younger age groups (under 11/ 12s) where we are too. Parents stay. It’s not childcare.