Fight at Youth Basketball Game

[KillJoy]

I reffed paintball tournaments for 4 years. Parent's these days are nuts. I can't tell you how many parents I've gotten into arguements with and have had to tell off.

[Mateo]

Originally Posted by Go G-Men

The problem is parents try to live vicariously through their kids.

These parents need to get a life and let their children be children. I know this... Odds are that these kids whose parents were fighting will end being the same kind of people... That is their example..

Seems this problem has been happening for a long time. Parents can't be blamed for wanting their children to be winners, but this should not supercede the love they should feel for them.
Children are individuals and not carbon copies. Parents are guiders not overseers. we should hope toshow them the way, but dictating and influencing their choices so that they win every time loses the lessons of Life on them. Defeat is not a bad thing if one learns from it. The other way breeds arrogance and all the attendant ills that come with it. The Columbine shootings are a sad example of that reality.
Thiis is a byproduct of the "Do your own thing""Feel Good" and lastly "ME"generation attitude of the last 40 years.

[meangirl]

Originally Posted by Go G-Men

The problem is parents try to live vicariously through their kids.

These parents need to get a life and let their children be children. I know this... Odds are that these kids whose parents were fighting will end being the same kind of people... That is their example..

I think that is it exactly! These parents can't let their kids play to have fun. They have to win at all costs. They have to be THE player, etc. It's sad.

[BuddyLee (Premo)]

Originally Posted by rack'm

I had a pep talk with the parents on the first day of each season, I told them that I didn't care if the kids won a single game, they were there to learn the game, to be good sports (rather they won or lost) and to learn how to be a team. I gave out a game ball to each kid on the team (out of my own pocket) to inspire the kids to do well and it worked like a charm.

Aw, I always knew you had a softie side.

[onebdzee (Premo)]

Originally Posted by rack'm

I wouldn't blame it on parks and rec......but people have lost their minds.


I coached soccer for 4 seasons with my kids........the parents were a total pain in the butt to deal with. All I ever heard was, "play my kid more", "you don't push the kids to win enough"

I had a pep talk with the parents on the first day of each season, I told them that I didn't care if the kids won a single game, they were there to learn the game, to be good sports (rather they won or lost) and to learn how to be a team. I gave out a game ball to each kid on the team (out of my own pocket) to inspire the kids to do well and it worked like a charm.

When me and my ex were overseas, I coached my 2 of my mutts in baseball and I got the same crap from a couple of the parents....well, at least the first couple of games and then I took the parents aside and told them "your kids are out here to have fun and learn the game....win or lose, if they have fun and learn something, my job as coach is done"

I wouldn't even keep score most of the time and when the kids would ask if they won, I would say "did you have fun" and when they all said "YES"....I would say "well, then you won!"

[donbarzini]

I have coached baseball games since my now-15 yo was 5. Every year i gave what my son calls the "Ted Williams speech". I would sit the kids in the bleachers with their parents and tell them that the best hitter that ever lived(argument for another post) was the last player to hit .400. Then I explained that .400 meant that he would only get a hit 4 out of 10 times. Then I asked what would happen if they went home with a score like that on a test. Then I told them that I said that to let them know that nobody expected them to do that well and if they made an out, nobody on the field, in the dugout or in the stands would yell at them. The whole time I make the speech, my eyes never left the parents. I've seen moron parents at the field, but I've been lucky not to have had any(fingers crossed/knocking wood). But I can deal with them. It's the parents looking for a babysitter that piss me off.