Community Corner

Parents Talk: Fighting On and Off the Field

Are parent's attitudes from the stands rubbing off on players?

During one of the first years my son played baseball, I remember a parent from an opposing team who routinely sat as close as he could to the field and constantly yelled at his son.

No matter what his 9-year-old son did, apparently it was wrong in his father’s eyes. I felt bad for the kid, his teammates and, well, pretty much everyone that had to listen to it. I couldn't wait for the game to be over. 

Fast-forward to recently and we hear of incidents of player infractions such as recent fighting on the field during a Totino-Grace High School and Prairie Seeds Academy boys varsity soccer game.

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The competition in youth sports has seems like it is at a point where more parents are trying to “coach” from the stands and players might be taking out their frustrations in other ways.

Are the parent’s attitudes from the stands rubbing off on the players?

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Trust me, I understand tensions run high. I’ve been on both sides of the bench as both a player and a parent. And, sometimes teams trash talk. But, what happened to taking the high road? The road of support and “just playing the game” verses the road of criticism and confrontation.

After all, it is just a game.

Share your thoughts: Are the parent’s attitudes from the stands rubbing off on the players? Are parents putting more pressure on players? Share your thoughts in comments below.


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