Comments on The Phoenix: Summer = Psycho Parents

I was involved big time in Little League years bef...

2008-06-27T13:22:00.000-05:00

I was involved big time in Little League years before I even had any children, because my hubby's family was in it. I remember the nut case parents who made things tough for the volunteers. I came between them and my hubby (he coached, I worked the kitchen) MANY times to keep them off his back.

Then I coached girls' softball, since I had two girls playing and finally got fed up one day, when a grandmother was screaming at me why this why that yadda yadda yadda. I walked over to her, smiled at her and said, "Any time YOU want to do this job, here you go. Until then, SHUT UP!" That was the last I heard anything from her! lol

Phoenix - The parent I eventually ejected started ...

2008-06-26T10:39:00.000-05:00

Phoenix - The parent I eventually ejected started screaming at me for not enforcing offsides rules. I explained that since the kids were 3-5 years old, the league wasn't enforcing offsides. Then he screamed at me for not knowing goaltender rules. I *was* a goaltender, I knew the rules quite well. But when your kid's literally off the field chasing a butterfly, and isn't in net, I can't call anything. He walked on to the field mid-game shouting obscenities at me and that's when I ejected him. And then I reamed him for setting a bad example. Oh, and he was an assistant coach.

mr. friendly - I LOVE watching the little kids play "bunch ball." the swarm of little kids, unsteady on their feet, running excitedly to maybe touch the ball is hilariously precious.

I just send my kids to sleep away camp. Now they ...

2008-06-24T12:27:00.000-05:00

I just send my kids to sleep away camp. Now they have to deal on their own.

JD: It's the same people! Stage moms/soccer moms....

2008-06-22T09:27:00.000-05:00

JD: It's the same people! Stage moms/soccer moms. ALL kids will be subject to bad calls from the ref, so people need to chill.

haley-o: Yeah. I remember that case of the one father KILLING another father after a hockey game.

delmer: That's funny. Some people need to be put in their place. 5 yr old soccer? No wonder so many kids get burned out on it by the time they're 12.

phred: Yup - I got it too as a tennis coach, especially girls tennis. One father even went as far as to try to get me fired for benching her daughter. I benched my #1 player because she skipped practice. All the other parents supported me. I bet the dad got super pissed when we won out match without his precious daughter.

kim: Wow. That really is so sad.WG: It's a fear of...

2008-06-22T09:23:00.000-05:00

kim: Wow. That really is so sad.

WG: It's a fear of mine, but it's also a good lesson. There are assholes everywhere in life.

phred: Softball and baseball are also meccas for crazed parents. I wonder why.

mr. friendly: Reminds me of a play called "Swarm." But the ball usually doesn't move very much from all the little feet kicking it simultaneously.

angel jr: Filipino parents aren't as obvious about their anger. They'll go about it more stealthily.

obilon: That's normal. We all do it. It's the ones that cross the line that ruin it for everyone.

This is the best post ever! haha. Being a HS coac...

2008-06-22T00:21:00.000-05:00

This is the best post ever! haha. Being a HS coach of 2 sports I appreciate a post like this, even though it's not really summer and little kids.

Also very glad you're back, welcome back man!

I remember one day complaining about the refs and ...

2008-06-21T23:16:00.000-05:00

I remember one day complaining about the refs and "where do they get these guys?"

Another parent pointed out they were volunteers and if he was unhappy he could volunteer. The jackass said he couldn't because he had a job (of course he was there to bitch about the game).

The other parent said the other volunteers all had jobs to and that was the end of it.

And this was 5-year old soccer.

Haha! This is exactly what frightens me about spor...

2008-06-21T22:46:00.000-05:00

Haha! This is exactly what frightens me about sports. my brother used to play hockey when we were little (still does, but that's beside the point), and some of those parents were INSANE! ;)

Ha, ha!! You've heard of Stage Moms and Stage Dad...

2008-06-21T15:53:00.000-05:00

Ha, ha!!
You've heard of Stage Moms and Stage Dads, well the psycho parents are those people.
I can remember getting riled at a few of my son's games, but I promise I didn't curse or yell or make a fool of myself... even if my kid was totally ripped off.

:-)

When I watch my 5-year old play soccer, I don't ge...

2008-06-20T13:26:00.000-05:00

When I watch my 5-year old play soccer, I don't get sideline rage but I do get arm chair quaterback syndrome, where I coach him from the sidelines. I did the same thing with my older son when he played football or lacrosse, yelling instructions to him on the field. Maybe I think I can verbally control his actions by yelling "run for the ball" or "look out" or "kick it!"

May be not. But it helps pass the time and makes the game fun for me too.

When I go to my nephew and niece's soccer games, I...

2008-06-20T11:58:00.000-05:00

When I go to my nephew and niece's soccer games, I encounter all those sideline rage parents.

As a three-time loser, I mean recreation league so...

2008-06-20T06:33:00.000-05:00

As a three-time loser, I mean recreation league soccer coach for little tykes, I have yet to see the full blown a**holerama that overtakes some parents. Not that they aren't a**holes, they just haven't revealed themselves to the five/six year olds yet.

By the by, my favorite play in this league is affectionately called "The Jailbreak." Ball gets loose, our team recovers, entire team descends on ball, somehow managing to get it into the opponents goal. Sheer force of will. It is a beauty to behold.

All so true.This is the first Summer my grandkids ...

2008-06-20T06:16:00.000-05:00

All so true.
This is the first Summer my grandkids didn`t play softball.
Their parents realized - it just was not worth it.
I have seen other kids verbally abused by their parents because they struck out.

Those parents make me scared of putting my own kid...

2008-06-20T00:45:00.000-05:00

Those parents make me scared of putting my own kid in sports. (Not that I won't, but I'm not looking forward to it.) It's like the moment those parents step onto a field their heads go up their asses.

I kind of wish that actually happened; at least then their voices would be muffled.

Hear hear. I used to ref and coach soccer and man ...

2008-06-19T16:51:00.000-05:00

Hear hear. I used to ref and coach soccer and man oh man.

The one time I had to throw a parent out of a game as a ref was at a 3, 4, and 5 year old soccer game. For real. It was appalling.