Comments on: Banished From The Sideline

By: Soccerdawg

Soccerdawg — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:41:09 +0000

As a referee, I’m absolutely for this. This kind of behavior does nothing but bring disrepute to the game, as well as embarrass the kids.

I wish we had a liaison to the teams here. That’s a great idea!

I can also tell you that more than half of referees do not return for a second year because of obnoxious parents and coaches. I’ve seen both.

By: Marcus Cole

Marcus Cole — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:23:27 +0000

I was part of a referee crew this past weekend at a U10 recreation game and we had to eject 2 fathers for continuously harping on us for the calls we were making.

Finally, my 16-year old center stopped play and ejected both fathers from the complex and wouldn’t restart the game until the parents left the complex. Talk about a long humiliating walk.

Thankfully, our league is taking a hard stance against behavior like that.

By: Ed Hawkins - ZenMaster

Ed Hawkins - ZenMaster — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:02:29 +0000

Parents are Modern Day Hooligans…..from my blog on subject at: http://zenfooty.com/blogs_detail.php?blogno=15&func=1819367706

There…I said it…Some parents are the new hooligans of modern youth soccer. I love you all but I feel safer at a British second division game surrounded by drunken thugs. I have a million stories. One day I saw a lady with a horse blanket over her head running out onto the field to yell at a player on the opposing team. This was at a U-13 girls game. The blanket was really ugly so you can imagine what she looked like underneath. And the things she was saying to the 12 year old were unspeakable. Can you imagine, trying to dribble a ball downfield and an ugly screaming blanket comes out at you from nowhere? Talk about a nightmare! So here is the deal: Parents get a yellow and a red just like the kids. But, with the red, the team which the hooligan supports gets a player sent off (preferably their kid), the parent gets ejected, and the club gets fined. Oh, and the blanket gets destroyed. What say you?

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:01:45 +0000

Coach Tim,

I totally agree with you about kids not being able to control what their parents do. It was a crazy situation but the parents knew the coach meant business and it seemed to work.

By: Coach Tim

Coach Tim — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:57:19 +0000

Karen, no offense to your son’s coach but it seems to me that punishing a player for the transgressions of his or her parent(s) is extremely unfair and sends the wrong message. Kids can’t control what their parents say or do.

By: Karen

Karen — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:03:34 +0000

One of my son’s travel and premier coaches handled improper parent behavior by telling all the parents at the beginning of the season that he will not tolerate any behavior of this sort. If it occurs, the parent’s player will be pulled off the field and benched or not played if he is on the bench at the time of the problem. It worked…

By: Titans Mom

Titans Mom — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:03:54 +0000

Yes, they have to wear badges. They are also required to go to training. I know both the boys (NCSL) and girls (WAGS) leagues require, as may the team with both boys and girls teams (ODSL).

By: Soccer Dad

Soccer Dad — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:44:09 +0000

MDScot – do they have to wear a tag to the games?

By: MDScot

MDScot — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:39:30 +0000

We play in a similar league in the DC area that also uses a designated parent as sportsmanship liaisons. The key to using this is to pick the loudest, most troublesome, parent and give them the liaison tag and ask them to keep everyone in line. Or, sometimes even better – give it to the loudmouth’s spouse!

By: Soccer Coaching Software

Soccer Coaching Software — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:22:33 +0000

I heard about this story somewhere else, too, and I think that that the woman near the end really sums it up:

“It’s embarrassing,” one of the parents said. “This is seventh-grade soccer.”