Child’s Athletic Dreams

Posted on 10. Apr, 2009 by TheCuteKid Photo Contest in Development, Parenting, Tweens

Are you a positive supporter of your child’s sports dreams or an insanely driven psychopath determined to eliminate anyone who might get in your kid’s way?

Why do some seemingly normal people cross the line of no return and go from being supportive parents to aggression-crazed mouth-breathers desperate to see their kid win at all costs? Is there any hope of redemption?

Athletic Supporter, or Raving Lunatic?

When cheering for your kid goes too far

by Jarrod Thalheimer

• “Dad Disrupts Grade School Basketball Game” (IndyStar, Feb. 14, 2008)
• “One Father Attacks Another for Reacting to His Son’s Foul” (Sunday Telegraph, Dec. 2, 2007)
• “Parents Brawl at 9-Year Old’s Soccer Game” (New York Times, Nov. 18, 2007)
• “Man Slugs Kid’s Football Coach Over Playing Time” (AP, Oct. 2, 2007)
• “Boy’s Father, Uncle and Brother Assault Coach over Benching” (Newsday, Nov. 3, 2007)
• “Post-Game Parent’s Brawl Ends in Hospitalization and Leads to Charges” (The News Tribune, Sep. 30, 2007)

So Who Are You?

Are you a charter member of the dingbat-crazy fanatics club that seems to infest the sidelines of every minor league sporting event any given weekend? Maybe you’re not that bad yet. You just sit in the stands at your kid’s baseball game and heckle the ump a little. Suggest his mother or wife may have visited your condo the evening past – nothing serious – just a little psychological warfare to throw him off his game. What’s the harm, right?

There was a report that even Larry King himself was asked to leave a little league game for causing a ruckus. What is the deal these days? Are parents behaving like true athletic supporters or merely acting like the appendage such things protect?

When parents first look down on their sleeping children, most see a tiny baby bursting with promise. They wistfully imagine the possibilities… president, the doctor who cures cancer, architect, school teacher. For every one of these parents, there’s at least twice as many (or more) looking down and seeing visions of Tiger Woods or Cal Ripkin, Jr.

Keep Your Expectations in Check
Every parent thinks their kids are the best and want them to do well. They cheer and clap, encouraging them on. But, for some, the game becomes more than healthy competition. Rather, it’s a test of pride, commitment, and even ego. Everything is suddenly on the line and failure is simply not an option.

Carrie Cheadle, M.A., a sport psychology consultant and mental skills coach, lays out a few dos and don’ts on her Web site when it comes to childhood sports:

Dos for parents

Help your child set goals.

Help your child define success.

Don’ts for everyone

Specialize too early.

Lose sight of what is important.

Give feedback during a game.

Ensuring that you are not trying to relive your own unfulfilled sports dreams is the duty of all parents on the sidelines. If you truly want what is best for your kids, be certain that your actions are not showcasing the exact opposite of what you claim to desire.

Above all else, kids need to know that they are accepted and treasured, whether they perform well or not. Beware though… it’s a might hypocritical to pass on such eternal lessons while sitting astride your child’s umpire as you’re gleefully punching him in the face for calling a strike. Get a grip for pity’s sake!

Is it really too much to ask that parents take a moment to consider the long-term effects of their sideline behavior on the children? Acting like a spoiled brat OFF the field will only teach your kids to act that way ON the field. And how many parents look down on their newborn child and hope they will someday grow up to be a horse’s ass? These days, it would seem far too many.

Buck the trend and be an adult. You won’t regret it.

Admit it, have you lost your cool in defense of your child’s performance on or off the field?

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Tags: child sports, kids athletic dreams, Parenting, support child sports