Silent sidelines - zero tolerance and non existent crowd response

[Anonymous]

I’ve moved out of the DC area, and I’m curious if what I am experiencing is specific to my area, or typical of sports post covid.
Our youth sports parents don’t talk.
They don’t hardly cheer at games, and this past soccer season they implemented “silent sidelines” games. Where parents are to remain SILENT.
And they did.
It seems even cheering is considered coaching from the sidelines. I’ve witnessed refs stopping play to scold parents and coaches from behavior that wouldn’t have even cracked the top 100 of most egregious behavior I witnessed when I was playing club sports in the 80’s.
I’m not saying I’m against it. Just surprised.
Is this a happening near you?

[Anonymous]

No. That's not normal.

[Anonymous]

Not at all.

I think there has been a lot of attention in recent years on badly behaved parents and much less tolerance for those behaviors (long overdue!- yay) but parents still cheer a lot.

[Anonymous]

Where is this?

[Anonymous]

Is it Seattle?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it Seattle?

Midwest

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. That's not normal.

Does the DMV ever do any sort of silent games?

[Anonymous]

Not normal. But I like it! I've made a conscious effort to become a silent parent this season and have to say I enjoy the experience much more and find it healthier for everyone. I still occasionally clap or say good job, but I'm trying to keep everything else to myself. I like hearing the kids talk to each other, and hearing them listen to their coach. Other parents are still loud though. Some louder than others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. That's not normal.

Does the DMV ever do any sort of silent games?

Arlington Soccer had silent Saturday last weekend. Most parents still cheered goals. One parent still yelled at her kid a lot but the rest got the message.

[Anonymous]

Never heard of this…but during Covid our LL made all the parents sit in the OF behind the home run fence and it was great.

They could still say whatever they wanted but you couldn’t hear it much on the field.

Maybe the solution is to place parents a sufficient distance where they can still follow the game and yell all they want but neither coaches or parents can hear

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never heard of this…but during Covid our LL made all the parents sit in the OF behind the home run fence and it was great.

They could still say whatever they wanted but you couldn’t hear it much on the field.

Maybe the solution is to place parents a sufficient distance where they can still follow the game and yell all they want but neither coaches or parents can hear

Players can hear

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never heard of this…but during Covid our LL made all the parents sit in the OF behind the home run fence and it was great.

They could still say whatever they wanted but you couldn’t hear it much on the field.

Maybe the solution is to place parents a sufficient distance where they can still follow the game and yell all they want but neither coaches or parents can hear

My kid plays football. I guarantee you the players cannot hear what 99% of the parents yell because the stands are far away from the field. Yes, there are 1 or 2 obnoxiously loud parents they can hear but they don't hear the vast majority of the crowd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it Seattle?

lol I’m in Seattle and sidelines are the only place where people get vocal. Awkward dead silence everywhere else, though.

[Anonymous]

One DS plays for a club that has requested this and while it’s not silent, it’s almost there. Just a little golf clap when your kid scores. Other DS plays for a different club and it’s the total opposite, screaming parents the entire game. I thought I’d hate the silent sideline but I prefer it and the kids are less anxious.

[Anonymous]

We need this. Our parents are crazy. @ U11, the kids hate it and it is super distracting.