Ever heard or read about those parents... the sports parents that get more intense about the game than the kids? I witnessed something rather ironic today in regards to parenting and sports.
Today I went to a soccer game. Families with their fold up chairs and umbrellas all packed and ready to sit for a while and watch their kids kick a ball up and down a field. It was a beautiful day for it; there was a nice breeze and it never felt too hot. As I sat on this small hill watching the game, knowing only one player, I listened to the parents sitting around me. At first I had no clue which of the parents would cheer for the red team like me, but I learned very, very quickly. There was a set of parents nearby, chairs and snacks and all, that would yell at the ref if they thought it was a bad call against their son's team, the blue team. They weren't by any means the lunatics I've read about, running onto the field or screaming obscenities, but they were definitely vocal, and definitely a bit more intense about the game.
After it was over, those same parents were talking with their kids (who incidentally lost the game), and the boys were extremely upset and started to rag on the refs for some of the calls, even though, a different call probably would not have helped the score (the red team had more goal attempts in my opinion). They blamed their loss on everyone but themselves, and their parents, in an unexpected twist, quipped back to the kids not to be a victim and take responsibility for their own playing.
Wait, what?
These were the parents that 15 minutes prior were yelling, maybe even barking, at the ref for a call they thought wasn't right. And then, when their kids echo that sentiment, it's suddenly not ok? Did these parents really not think that their voice traveled across the field to their kids' ears?
Granted, I'm not a parent. But I've got that whole kid thing down. Been one for a few years now. I remember the moments when my parents could have reacted in a way that would justify the feelings I had toward something, but took the high road instead. No, they aren't perfect, but as an adult now, I can honestly say that they did one heck of a job pointing me and my sister to the better option, and still do.
And I do realize that there are bad calls out there... that a ref might miss a detail from their angle that someone sitting in a different position might have seen clearly. But does that give us the ok to rip them a new one? Is a league sport really a matter so grave that behaving badly becomes acceptable? In front of their children?
It just strikes me as interesting that these kids, after hearing their parents make a statement, were instantly tossed into confusion as that statement was suddenly punishable when it came from the mouths of the kids. I would almost have more respect for these parents if they let the kids continue blaming the ref's "bad calls" instead of turning the tables and causing confusion. It was just an interesting, ironic afternoon of observation. But, I'm sure in 5 years there will be a new "medical disorder" for kids that grow up with constant contradictions and give them even more excuses for why they behave terribly.
For my part, I cheered when the red team scored, cheered when they made a great save, and cheered when they won the game. When something happened with the blue team, the other team, I said nothing. And for the few other parents who did the same, rock on.
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