Why do parents on the sideline yell inane drivel to the players?

[Anonymous]

I played basketball in college and worked several youth camps in the summers for $$. Some of the parents were crazy. They'd tell their kids to disregard coaching, yell for no reason, and even regularly get on the college player refs.
I also had parents come see me about the type of college that might recruit their kid in the future (at under 10). I went to a highly ranked college (elite for academics and sadly NOT basketball) and one parent actually brought up his son's elementary school grades

[Anonymous]

This happens at swim meets where the kids’ heads are literally underwater. “Kick-kick-kick!!!”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the deal with those soccer parents who are yelling non-stop "encouragements" from the sidelines. The kids (a) can't hear them and (b) wouldn't care if they could hear them - which they mostly can't.

Half the stuff they say is just bizarre too, like another language. Why not just sit quietly and clap or cheer on occasion when it's warranted?

This does not happen in any other sport. I find those parents who just yap at the field non-stop so off-putting.

What is wrong with another language?
They are talking to their kid not you!
Get over it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the deal with those soccer parents who are yelling non-stop "encouragements" from the sidelines. The kids (a) can't hear them and (b) wouldn't care if they could hear them - which they mostly can't.

Half the stuff they say is just bizarre too, like another language. Why not just sit quietly and clap or cheer on occasion when it's warranted?

This does not happen in any other sport. I find those parents who just yap at the field non-stop so off-putting.

What is wrong with another language?
They are talking to their kid not you!
Get over it!

Op here - sorry I did not mean parents at speaking a real non-English language. I meant they are saying strange meaningless things.

[Anonymous]

God Little Parents are also insufferable with “be a hitter” when their kid was at bat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the deal with those soccer parents who are yelling non-stop "encouragements" from the sidelines. The kids (a) can't hear them and (b) wouldn't care if they could hear them - which they mostly can't.

Half the stuff they say is just bizarre too, like another language. Why not just sit quietly and clap or cheer on occasion when it's warranted?

This does not happen in any other sport. I find those parents who just yap at the field non-stop so off-putting.

There is not a single sport that kids play where parents do not yell at the kids -- at all ages. I went to a big high school in the 1980s and there were a thousand people at the football games and you could hear parents yelling to their kids.

That is what happens in sports. Same thing happens at pro sports including pro soccer both here and in Europe. No one at a sporting match sits quietly and cheers and claps on occasion.

Professional tennis and golf dislike this post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:God Little Parents are also insufferable with “be a hitter” when their kid was at bat.

The parents' height should not really matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:God Little Parents are also insufferable with “be a hitter” when their kid was at bat.

I have a kid in baseball and this one annoys me too for some reason. I don’t mind things like “good eye,” great pitch,” “way to back him up” or whatever. Or encouragement if a kid strikes out (“that’s ok you’ll get it next time!”).

But “be a hitter” (or “be a winner”, I’ve heard that one too) just rubs me wrong.

[Anonymous]

Because watching soccer is intense and its natural to want to cheer. I disagree that kids dont hear or care. They recognize friendly voices. At my kids team sometimes we just start "lets go team!" Chant, and the boys love it.

Otherwise I will yell "nice pass", "good hustle" "keep fighting" "awesome job" "keep it up" etc to refrain from giving instructions (which i agree is utterly useless at best and confusing at worst) and I will never say anything critical about my kid or others.

A person complaining about positive cheering is just odd. Why even bother going? How strange and creepy it would be to sit quietly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the deal with those soccer parents who are yelling non-stop "encouragements" from the sidelines. The kids (a) can't hear them and (b) wouldn't care if they could hear them - which they mostly can't.

Half the stuff they say is just bizarre too, like another language. Why not just sit quietly and clap or cheer on occasion when it's warranted?

This does not happen in any other sport. I find those parents who just yap at the field non-stop so off-putting.

Come watch a youth baseball or softball game.

[Anonymous]

I've been trained over the years with my older child to clap politely (even for the other team sometimes!) and cheer only.

But, with my little one, he's playing right defense and is in the left corner next to the other team's goal and I just can't help mentioning this to him. Sometimes he hears and does something about it!

[Anonymous]

More stupid DC urban posts. Who cares?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the deal with those soccer parents who are yelling non-stop "encouragements" from the sidelines. The kids (a) can't hear them and (b) wouldn't care if they could hear them - which they mostly can't.

Half the stuff they say is just bizarre too, like another language. Why not just sit quietly and clap or cheer on occasion when it's warranted?

This does not happen in any other sport. I find those parents who just yap at the field non-stop so off-putting.

There is not a single sport that kids play where parents do not yell at the kids -- at all ages. I went to a big high school in the 1980s and there were a thousand people at the football games and you could hear parents yelling to their kids.

That is what happens in sports. Same thing happens at pro sports including pro soccer both here and in Europe. No one at a sporting match sits quietly and cheers and claps on occasion.

Professional tennis and golf dislike this post.

Tennis more than other sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While this does occur in all youth sports, I think it's especially bad with soccer because so many parents do not understand the game the way they do sports like baseball and basketball.

They get excited when something "big" happens like when someone just boots it down the field. Or when anyone gets knocked to the ground "hey!" it must be a foul. They have no idea that just booting it to the other team is bad, and contact is part of soccer not everything is a foul.

Imagine how silly you'd look watching baseball and cheering for a big popup to the infield that everyone knows will be an out. Or yelling shoot it in basketball every time a kid touches the ball at half court.

Yes on baseball but they do in basketball -- like every game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the deal with those soccer parents who are yelling non-stop "encouragements" from the sidelines. The kids (a) can't hear them and (b) wouldn't care if they could hear them - which they mostly can't.

Half the stuff they say is just bizarre too, like another language. Why not just sit quietly and clap or cheer on occasion when it's warranted?

This does not happen in any other sport. I find those parents who just yap at the field non-stop so off-putting.

There is not a single sport that kids play where parents do not yell at the kids -- at all ages. I went to a big high school in the 1980s and there were a thousand people at the football games and you could hear parents yelling to their kids.

That is what happens in sports. Same thing happens at pro sports including pro soccer both here and in Europe. No one at a sporting match sits quietly and cheers and claps on occasion.

Professional tennis and golf dislike this post.

Same with equestrian. Actually in dressage you can be eliminated if someone outside “coaches” you.