Why Yelling At Your Child Doesn't Help In Sports
- Ken Mitchell
- Sep 18, 2021
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 4
Im sure you have heard or read about that crazy parent who yells at every call the referee makes or at everything their child does during a game. Frustration with referees, coaches and your own child is understandable, but some parents take their frustrations way to far.
I live in a community where the majority of the population has Type A personalities. People with this personality type tend to be more competitive, demonstrate higher levels of impatience and tend to get upset more easily. An incident of a "crazy" parent occurred in the community where I live story on a Saturday morning during a 1st grade, yes, you read that right, a 1st grade flag football game. A (male) parent became frustrated with some of the calls the referee was making so he decided to berate the referee over and over until the referee couldn't take it anymore and ultimately made the parent leave the game. The parent waited in his car until the game was over and as the referee was walking to his car the "crazy" parent confronted the referee where words were exchanged until the "crazy" parent became red faced, grabbed the referee and slammed him on top of a car hood. Parents that were standing next to the altercation broke things up and helped cool the situation. I'm not sure if the referee filed charges against the "crazy" parent but as crazy as this story seems, it happens all over the world.
A referee in the United States has decided to take matters in his own hands to call out the "crazy" parents that can't contain their emotions by paying anyone who sends him videos that he uploads to YouTube. Check it out below:
There a lot of situations during your child's games where a parent can become frustrated. Is your child's coach giving enough playing time, is the referee in your opinion, treating your child unfairly, are the parents from the opposing team somehow annoying you? Yelling at the referee or a parent from the opposing team is bad enough but an emotional outburst directed at your own child during a game not only can embarrass your child but may cause long-term emotional harm that includes anxiety, depression and rebellion. It may also lower their motivation to continue playing sports in the future. If you want to push your child to play sports, check out this article 8 Constructive Ways To Push Your Child In Youth Sports.
Most parents want what's best for their children and try to be as supportive and positive as possible but sometimes their own internal demons take over. Believe me, I have let my emotions take over during my own children's sporting activities. I am guilty of yelling at the referee and even yelling at my children. Now that my children are older now, when I think about it, this is the biggest regret I have as a father.
Sports, especially at an early age, are meant to be fun. Research has also found that playing multiple sports has tremendous health benefits. Here are 25 Reasons Why You Should Play Sports
25 Reasons Why You Should Play Sports
1) Promotes a healthy heart
2) Helps control diabetes
3) Increases classroom success
4) Reduces risk of osteoporosis
5) Helps control weight
6) Promotes self-esteem
7) Develops discipline
8) Teaches goal setting
9) Learn to control emotions
10) Teaches Teamwork
11) Less likely to use drugs
12) Promotes a stronger immunity
13) Teaches accountability
14) Improves your mood
15) Builds friendships
16) Teaches problem solving
17) Develops communication skills
18) It's fun
19) Teaches respect for rules
20) Teaches time-management skills
21) Improves concentration
22) Improves strength and stamina
23) Reduces stress
24) Improves quality of sleep
25) Develops leadership traits
As a parent, being a spectator at your child's games is very tough. Self control is tough for most parents especially when they feel like they don't have any power or control over their child. If you are one of those "crazy" parents, challenge yourself to remain quiet on the sideline and just clap your hands if your child's team or your child does something good. Keep your mind occupied throughout the game on something else, besides the game. Don't try this just for one game or one season, try it for multiple seasons and monitor your child to see if this technique helps your child's performance and overall attitude towards sports. Remember, as much as you may want, your child more than likely won't get a full scholarship to play sports in college or play professionally.
THE MATERIALS AND INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE HAVE BEEN PREPARED OR ASSEMBLED BY THE MOUTHGUARD REVIEW AND ARE INTENDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR ADVICE FROM A LICENSED HEALTH-CAR PROFESSIONAL. YOU SHOULD NOT RELY SOLELY ON THIS CONTENT, AND THE MOUTHGUARD REVIEW ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR INACCURACIES. ALWAYS READ LABELS AND DIRECTIONS BEFORE USING A PRODUCT. SOME OF THE INFORMATION MAY BE DATED AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE MOST CURRENT EVENTS. I WROTE THIS ARTICLE MYSELF AND IT EXPRESSES MY OWN OPINIONS.
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