What kind of parent are you?

I am not your typical sport parent and I am about as far from a 'soccer-mom' as you can get, but I love to attend my childrens sporting events. I am a typical cheerer, but I do get funny looks from parents on both sides of the fence. You see, I cheer for both teams. I think all good plays deserve its due credit, no matter which team makes it. Children need to be praised, and I think the opposing team sees me cheer for them and it helps them to be better sportsmen... or sportswomen. Kids can never get too much praise. There's nothing with a 'good try' or 'good effort' when a play goes awry. Good spirits lead to good athletes!!

Hi inked, I understand your frustration . My kids are grown but how I remember taking them to Soccer or Bowling and how awful some of the parents would yell and belittle their kids . How fun is that for the kids to have to hear this in front of the team? Don't parents see what they are doing to their kids ? Sports should be fun and when it stops being fun, you might as well take them out of it . We were the kind of parents the cheered for all the kids . I'm sorry you quit coaching , but I understand , it's alot easier working with kids then it is some of the parents isn't it ?

I won't sit here and lie and say I wouldn't be a yeller or a screamer. I wouldn't be doing it in a negative way though, I would be the one in the crowds cheering the team on, not just for my own child. Honestly though, I'm glad my kids don't want to play sports. I just don't want to deal with parents that go over board and end up putting their own kids and their teammates down when they loose. Now if my kids wants to play a sport, I won't hold them back either. I just want to be like some parents that makes their kid play a sport, because either the parent loves it and couldn't play as a kid, or see's a future sports star in them. A child should be able to decide what he/she wants to play. I see a lot of cases on the news of parents going over board and beating up another team player, chewing and then fighting with a ref, etc. It's scary to believe that these people have kids in the first place.

I'm the encouraging type, probably not the norm. I always ask my child, "Did you have fun?" If they did then I know they want to participate, parents try to live through their kids, it never works, kids have their own lives. They don't need to be pushed or bullied or yelled at, they need to be encouraged.