Parents – Grab A Whistle and Give it a Try

July 14, 2009 by barryk
Filed under Articles About Youth Sports, SDL Blog, SDL Conversations

I attended the finals of a high school girls basketball tournament last night. Now remember, this is a summer tournament, not a high school event.

It just amazes me to sit and listen to the comments being made. Parents yelling at the kids, or even worse other players on the team. Yelling at officials. SUMMER GAME!

Excuse me if this sounds bad, but so many times I look at the father screaming and shouting instructions the loudest and I would bet my last dollar this guy never played competitive basketball in his life!

In addition, the coaches for these two teams are the actual high school coaches for the prospective teams. They do not get paid a dime to coach these games. They use them to evaluate and develop players. It gives players the opportunity to practice during the off season and for new players, a chance to show their stuff and get a feel for the philosophy and playing style of the coach.

Here is the funniest and most outrageous part of this story. With about 25 seconds left in the game, the team with possession of the ball was winning by 3 points. This teams coach shouts out to his players, “They have to foul you”! Pretty straight forward stuff.

Well, the all star parent, you know him. The guy I mentioned earlier. Living his non-athletic life through his athletic daughter, immediately yells out, “NO THEY DON’T!” Everyone turns and looks at this guy like he is from Mars. Even the head coach who shouted the instructions just looked in his direction and just laughed.

Guess who probably felt the worst. His daughter.

End result? The trailing team fouled to try and get the ball back.

Similar situations happen at so many youth sporting events. PARENTS, please honor the game. Parents, please honor the coaches and officials. Parents, please honor your kids and don’t embarrass them.

Your time is over (if you ever had a time). Support, encourage, but let the coaches do their job. If you think you can do a better job, fill out an application when a position becomes available.

Think the officials stink. Go to your local youth organization, ask to put on the stripes, and give it a go. But could you do me a favor? Let me know when and where, so I can get a front row seat to a crash and burn movie.

What do you think is the proper way to handle a parent like this? Do you confront him or just ignore? How have yo handled similar situations?

I highly encourage anyone to purchase this book. It is very inexpensive ( in case you think I am getting wealthy by recommending) and worth every penny. It will change your view. I promise!