Hot Topic: Parent Sportsmanship Worse Than Ever?

Parents nowadays are outright unrealistic when it comes to sports.
Yes, I am a parent but I have seen my share of idiotic parents who interfere with the coach and the team. Being in the stands with the parents is downright embarassing. They never have anything good to say about the coaches that maybe earn a nicket an hour if anything. It's always my son this and my son that. Parents have gone as far as calling the coach a racist and trying to get the coach fired for some ridiculously innocent pet name to a player. It starts at the PeeWee Level and goes up. Parents this that every player should get a trophy and that many exceptions should be made because Johnny also plays in two or three other extracurricular activites at the same time. Come on, parents, coaches are people, too. They have families and do not deserve the treatment they are dished out. Yes, some of them you may not agree in their methods of playing but don't demean the coach in front of your children. What are you teaching your child? When a player is on the team it is a COMMITTMENT, learn the word.

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There have always been some problems with either parents or coaches, just not in anywhere near the numbers as today!

My "ex" coached for years, but before he began (in fact THIS episode is why he decided to start coaching), our youngest son had a head coach who was SF (we were Army and lived on base and the children played through rec services). This guy was a real class A jerk! He treated our son great until he was hurt while playing outside at home. He badly bruised his chest muscles and ligaments - a few days later, at a game he hit a pop fly up over the backstop...everyone was watching the ball to see if it would hit their cars or something. In the meantime, my son is lying on home plate writhing in pain and unable to breathe! I rushed onto the field and this moron started carrying on about "walk it off", "suck it up", "take it like a man". I "politely" informed him his parents had never been married and his mother tracked rabbits by scent, scooped up my son and rushed him to the ER. We were told by the doctor that children of that age (9) still had very soft bones in their chests and along with the tissue injuries it made this a serious issue - he gave us a note for the coach stating our son was NOT to practice, work out or play for a certain length of time. HIS reply was he'd talked to the "medic" in his unit who said it was just fine, no problem, that our son was obviously slacking off! From that point on, he ridiculed my son, called him rude names (pansy, cry baby, wuss - you get my drift). I contacted rec services about it. Other parents, the kids on the team and the assistant coach all backed us up and this idiot was removed and never allowed to coach again!

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It's only a f*#king game!!

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Erg! And what annoys me is that they're the one's calling kids immature.... Such hypocrites.

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If you don't like this country, feel free to leave any time you like. How about a nice swift kick in the ass for some forward momentum? The military is staffed by all volunteers. And we don't take kindly to jerks like you who threaten the Constitution of the United States. I will defend your right to free speech, but this sir, is going overboard. And I quote: “....I Will Support and Defend the Constitution of the United States Against All Enemies, Foreign AND Domestic....” And that sir, makes YOU a domestic enemy of mine. As far as cops go, many of them lie and cheat all the time. But consider what they would do to you in some other countries for spewing such unpatriotic garbage. You would probably be swinging by the neck by now. Or be locked away in some dungeon being tortured to the point that you wish you were dead. Think about that before you open your ugly mouth next time, and consider yourself lucky for living in a country that puts up with your dumb ass.

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Yes its sad but unavoidable. The stress to win and nothing will change it. Its life. Kids get report cards from grade go, the stress to get good marks are cost to even cheat to get into a good university. No matter what pressure to win, excel be the best. What about the Lulu who got mad at a call the coach made against her kids little league hockey league. What she do? Didn't get in a fist fight lol , she pulled up her shirt to the opposeing little leagues and flashed her breast to them lol. No matter what you do in business or stores its a competitive world.

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Okay does anyone see that sometimes the coaches and parents get a little too caught up. Coaches with the control thing and parents too. My son has put up with a coach that blackballed him because he hates me. He actually told people that my son wouldnt be onthe team if I were not the sponsor. sounds like penis envy. (he's a hater) I wanted to get in his face but decided to take one on the chin and told my kid to make him eat his words. My son is awesome. Everytime he hits the field he says he knows he's earned his spot. Can the coach say the same? Why do coaches coach? To coach their kid and make sure their kid plays. No matter how bad they SUCK. I'm not hating, it's life. Parents protect your kids from harm. But a lap around the track. Come on. Show your kid how to man up and tighten up his game. And whatever you do respect yourself and your kid. Some people are just plain a--holes parents and coaches.

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Dumb ass man deserved what he got. People are too caught up with winning the game rather than playing the game for fun these days. Very sad.

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Most people here seem to be blaming most of this on the parent, based on all the past sports dads getting in fights with the refs or coaches. Even the writer of the article heavily implies it was all on the father. Because the argument and fight took place away from the group and had no witnesses (at least from what I read,) you shouldn't take sides until this is fully investigated. The coach had no right to make the kid run laps at his dad's mistake, which apparently brought this on, but I'm not going to take sides. None of you should either. People are so quick to jump to conclusions in this world without looking into things further. You shouldn't believe every single thing you read on the news, or a web site. Most are extremely biased.

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i'm a head coach. and in large large part parents are the biggest obstacle to the health of a team. they take no responsibility for helping prepare the kids to compete, always complain, think there kid must be the superstar, and in general don't have a healthy mindset when approaching the game. if my kids are late...they run like everyone else, no exceptions. not for punishment. for discipline & conditioning. same applies to everyone.

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The kid was late for practice, bottom line. My boys play sports and running laps is almost always a warm-up. The other kids had already done some practicing so the kid had to catch up. I'm glad the coach kicked the overbearing dad's ass. If he didn't like it he should have left and taken his sissy boy home with him. I knew a dad who didn't like the way his kid was coached one year so the next year he started coaching. I coached my son's team for a year and kids who missed practice sat on the sidelines. Kids who made every practice played even if they sucked.

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I agree with most of the comments ALTHOUGH, I have to say, there's many coaches too who act like they themselves are children. I see it in parents behavior as well. I think overall, everyone should practice being nice to eachother and that also includes coaches not just parents. Kids see this behavior and I am quite certain they watch and hear with embarrassment. This only teaches these same kids to act out and HIT eachother when there's a disagreement of sorts. Both coaches and parents MUST be cordial to eachother and above all- act decent in the field with the players and with parents on and off the field. Simple concept folks.

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gd, you moron, you are the main reason parents have such discord with coaches- what you need is to confront some of these male parents and tell them what you have told us here. I am willing to bet you wouldn't dare talk smack to anyone. Figures you would come to a blog to post such hatred.

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Really is running a couple of laps that bad! It's foot ball! The kid knew what he was in for when he signed up for the sport! Besides to avoid injury you have to warm up!

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The 14th amendment was an anti-segregation amendment--I think you have your information confused.

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I have to say this ... the parents really need to stay out of the games & practices. If the boy is late for practice, then he will have to do extra work. His teammates were all on time except him. The coach have to be fair with other players that they showed up on time. The dad needs to STFU. I have seen a good number of parents that rushed to defend their kids. Unbelievable.

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I can understand both sides of the argument, but to physically hurt someone because of it is absolutely pointless. Did punching a father or protesting that your kid shouldn't do laps really solve anything? No. Like it has been said, the kid was late and had to warm up. What's the big deal about a couple of laps?

Yeah, I only played basketball and field hockey until middle school, but that was mostly because people just got so into and I couldn't stand being yelled at for something I did wrong. I did marching band instead - now THERE you learn discipline in a different type of setting, and it's highly beneficial and people underrate it SO much. That's really annoying. But I digress...

There's a difference between constructive criticism and an insult. In this case it was my coach, but that's not always the case. People just get too into sports these days, in my opinion. People need to understand that it's just a GAME. You join a sport to learn some discipline and gain mastery in the sport. If people start fighting over then they have clearly lost the concept of what they're there for.

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When will coaches and parents realize, it's just a f....... game.

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Just more parents trying to live vicariously through their children. Most parents want to believe their kids are something special and that they are extraordinary. Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Most kids are not "exceptional" nor "extraordinary." Most kids are ordinary -- if raised well, they will do well in school, get decent jobs, and lead a quiet life; just like the majority of us. Not everyone can have a high IQ and not everyone can be Bill Gates. You are doing your kids no favors by raising them to think they are better than others kids -- you will only raise spoiled brats.

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my son was late , for a golf tournement, he was , penalized 2 strokes and lost his rank , because of those 2 stokes , know what i say ? shame on him for being late.

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