Re: SIDELINE ETIQUETTE...

by my2cents 14/11/12, 06:00 pm

topsecretsoccermomID wrote:*handclapping* I couldn't of wtote that better if I tried.The only thing I would add is if you know parents on the other team and want to say hello do that quickly and go back to your sideline. It's like entering hostile territory , enter at your own risk.

You need to work on your sarcasm . It is not really evident but you most surely be joking.

As to many of the rest of you who want peace and quite; did it ever occur to you that most players enjoy a loud sideline? Your at an athletic competition not a poetry reading. The problem is many do not know the difference between loudly supporting the team and loudly embarassing their children to the point they wish they could beam you up and back to the house. The players love loud cheering, not loud yelling at refs, not loud coaching from parents, not loud sideline reffing, not loud criticism of the other team. Why do you think as they get older HS sports are so popular ? Because everyone comes to watch? No. It is because everyone comes to loudly cheer for them.

by ledger 14/11/12, 07:26 pm

RunsLikeWind wrote:No offense meant at all and I see your side of things, but I disagree with just about everything you have listed.

What is wrong with parents intermingling and then acting like adults instead of kids on a playground? Parents should be able to watch the game from wherever they want, ( as long as it is not blocking someone else's view) and the parents should be adult enough not to get in a confrontation.

When my kid plays on the defensive side of the ball, I stand near the defense. When my kid plays on the offensive side of the ball, I stand near the offense. I am not coaching or talking to her, but just able to watch her play better.

I think all parents should be silenced on the sideline, so then it really wouldn't matter who you were sitting next to, if they were not yelling throughout the game.

To me, this is not a war and we do not have to draw an imaginary line at the midway point between the parents. Lets just all get along and act like adults.

Peace------

Parents should be adult enough not to get in a confrontation, but unfortunately, some are not. It just adds fuel to the fire when a loud-mouthed parent walks up and down the sideline. It only takes one person from the other team to respond and you have a conflict that can escalate and make everyone look ridiculous. It is best to stay on separate sides and avoid any problems.

by Guest 14/11/12, 09:36 pm

silentparent wrote:
Slakemoth wrote:
Lighting Rod wrote:Runslikewind what magical land are you from? I would love to visit and ride their Unicorns.

As an extension of your proposal it would be great if all of the girls sat together and our Coach and your Coach gave each other a hug after each goal.

Have you ever been playing for a league championship? If you not pulling your hair out and giving all of your support to your team when it is still 0-0 in the final minutes of the game you might be in the wrong place. Have you explored chess?

Sorry to throw this back on you Lightning Rod, but the "magical land" Runs describes is pretty much every game in the U15 and higher age groups... probably U14 as well... don't worry.. you'll get there some day, and its a much more enjoyable experience for all.

I noticed this is an '04 thread so I understand the issues being discussed here.. The parents of Academy aged kids are absolutely the worst when it comes to etiquette and respect for each other.

BS I have been to many u15 games that were full of crazies, nice try. Run, we had a guy like you plop himself down on our side. We sat right next to him and right behind him. He and his discourtesy were gone in 5 minutes, sit on your damn side and dont be a tool.

SP nailed it on this advice. People always talk in terms of their rights. "I'll stand where ever I damn well please" is the mindset. But then they can't shut their mouths. And I've watched the majority of the parents who "just want to get a better view of their dd" by moving up and down the sidelines. What a load. These sling shot parents are among the worst offenders. They move so they can coach their kid.

But I see it as more of a coaching/manager issue. It's a given that a large percentage of soccer parents are over-zealous nutjobs who live through their children. How can such people be expected to control themselves? It's like hiring a burglar to be a bank teller. The coach should set the rules, and the manager should report violators. Shut up, sit on your side, and let your dd play. It's her sport, not yours.

by 1more_dd_dad 14/11/12, 11:49 pm

You don't have to stay on your sideline IF you know how to behave. A wise select parent that frequents this board once told me to treat everyone as if they would be on your sideline tomorrow. That is the best advice I could give new parents. My DD mostly plays defender so you betcha when she plays forward or mid I will be in the attacking third regardless whose sideline it is, but..... I will always throw out the "nice tackle" or "well played number whatever". Stay cordial, take some pictures and keep your mouth shut, if you can't do that, stay on your own side.

by justsayin02 15/11/12, 01:11 am

I know that most of you know about soccer etiquette and either choose to follow along or think you are the exception to the rule because you are so quiet and non intrusive. However, I have not yet played anywhere that the league doesnt have their own rules for player and parent seating. Not etiquette but rules. Every tournament has them and most leagues, but before you ask a field marshal to remove the pain in the butt boundry breaker be sure it is actually a rule that they can not be there. Most times it is, so the word Etiquette actually is irrelevant. We recently had to have a foul mouthed grandmother moved to her side because she thought she was funny by saying stupid things on our side and trying to get a reaction. The only thing she got was us cheering even louder but after a while the silliness of ignoring her wore off and we had the field marshal explain to her how it is NOT a free country, at least not on this particular field, and she should move her bottom to her parent sideline or she could move it out to her car. Although 8 out of 10 situations would probably go without any major incident but even a couple is bad enough for our children to have to witness or innocent game watchers to have to be distracted by. In Lake Highlands this last season they had so many disiplinary actions and removals of whole teams and parents that they even had to increase fines so it could make a bigger impact if it happens. By the way, most of these were upper age games U14 and above. I find that the parents that are out of line usually get more so as kids get older, as there is more riding on it each age they get closer to college and possible scout interest or move up to better teams. And the parents who have always maintained themselves usually stay the same and maybe even become more laid back, as they realize that they have very little to do with the outcome of the game, unless the outcome is to get the coach and team removed from the field.

by Guest 15/11/12, 07:29 am

1more_dd_dad wrote:You don't have to stay on your sideline IF you know how to behave. A wise select parent that frequents this board once told me to treat everyone as if they would be on your sideline tomorrow. That is the best advice I could give new parents. My DD mostly plays defender so you betcha when she plays forward or mid I will be in the attacking third regardless whose sideline it is, but..... I will always throw out the "nice tackle" or "well played number whatever". Stay cordial, take some pictures and keep your mouth shut, if you can't do that, stay on your own side.

And therein lies the problem, 1more. It is contradictive to cheer your daughter AND keep your mouth shut, isn't it?

I assume you're probably a nice guy/gal and may be one of the very, very few that can keep MOSTLY quiet... save the regular verbal pats-on-the-back. But if you're mixed in with a bunch of hair-trigger soccer parents whose daughters' team just happens to be losing, you're statements are like throwing gas on a brush fire. And I have yet to see even a "quiet" interloper from the opposing side that can stifle their excitement when a score is made for their team or chill after a particularly bad call from an official against the team they support. Again, more fuel.

This is about the time someone again counters ad nauseum about it being their "right" to stand where he wants... and it usually (but not always) is. It's also my right to walk down dark alleys around downtown Dallas or wear sunglasses and a hoodie when going into a bank. Bad ideas that could cause big problems, but hey, I can do what I want if it's not technically breaking any laws.

by Guest 15/11/12, 07:46 am

justsayin02 wrote:I know that most of you know about soccer etiquette and either choose to follow along or think you are the exception to the rule because you are so quiet and non intrusive. However, I have not yet played anywhere that the league doesnt have their own rules for player and parent seating. Not etiquette but rules. Every tournament has them and most leagues, but before you ask a field marshal to remove the pain in the butt boundry breaker be sure it is actually a rule that they can not be there. Most times it is, so the word Etiquette actually is irrelevant. We recently had to have a foul mouthed grandmother moved to her side because she thought she was funny by saying stupid things on our side and trying to get a reaction. The only thing she got was us cheering even louder but after a while the silliness of ignoring her wore off and we had the field marshal explain to her how it is NOT a free country, at least not on this particular field, and she should move her bottom to her parent sideline or she could move it out to her car. Although 8 out of 10 situations would probably go without any major incident but even a couple is bad enough for our children to have to witness or innocent game watchers to have to be distracted by. In Lake Highlands this last season they had so many disiplinary actions and removals of whole teams and parents that they even had to increase fines so it could make a bigger impact if it happens. By the way, most of these were upper age games U14 and above. I find that the parents that are out of line usually get more so as kids get older, as there is more riding on it each age they get closer to college and possible scout interest or move up to better teams. And the parents who have always maintained themselves usually stay the same and maybe even become more laid back, as they realize that they have very little to do with the outcome of the game, unless the outcome is to get the coach and team removed from the field.

Good points, and here's another. If a parent from the other side is behaving poorly - even if it's not blatantly obvious - the official CAN do something about it. The referee possesses a powerful tool with which to control spectators. The referee may stop, suspend or terminate the match because of outside interference of any kind, up to and including “grave disorder.” Outside interference of any kind. So if you've had enough of the annoying dad who won't shutup or stay with his team's parents, you could always let the official know of your "serious concern of a possible altercation". This adds liability to him, which he will usually transfer to the coaches to address, and also to the organization running the game. People hate being on the receiving end of liability.

by bigtex75081 15/11/12, 08:05 am

I do think it's funny that this string has become an instruction manual about how well behaved people need to navigate around loudmouth parents. So... because a loudmouth doesn't know how to shut up, everybody else needs to learn how to manage themselves better around them? Uhhhhhhh, no.

It's the loudmouths that are the catalyst for the conflicts between parents. It's the catalysts causing the issues that need to go, not the parents that can watch quietly from where ever they wish. So let's address that instead.

Let's help the clueless loudmouths be less clueless. I'll start a new list:
1. NEVER say anything about individual players on the other team. You don't know if that player's parents are standing right next to you. You can think it, but you should not articulate it. (Coaches are still fair game though. Actually, hearing an outsider’s observation about your coach can be helpful from time to time. Just don’t go way over the top with it.)

2. Cheer for your whole team, don't just cheer for individual kids. (Here's an experiment for your next game to help with this. Try cheering the entire game without calling out any player's name or number. It's more challenging than you may think. It’s tough but you won't offend anyone and you still get to cheer as loud as you want.)

3. Don't cheer for or encourage ANY aggressive physical play. Encouraging aggressive physical play is one of the worst things you can do. (This always seems to come out of a mom's mouth, "DON"T LET HER PUSH YOU JANIE!!!PUSH HER BACK!!!" Really??? That's the coaching you want to give your DD? That's suppose to be positive? Instead of saying that, just shut your mouth or take another drink of your 48oz soda.)

4. Don't scream at the referees. Your crappy opinion about the referees doesn't add value to the game. Nobody wants to hear your uninformed opinion. You yelling at the referee DOESN'T make the game better. In fact, a parent yelling at a referee consistently makes the games get worse. Just shut up because you're not benefitting anyone, including your DD and her team.

5. If your team is ahead by 3 or more goals, don't cheer quite as loudly as you cheered when it was 0-0 or 1-0. You can still cheer but try to calm yourself down some. Your team shouldn't be out there to run the score up on other kids. The bigger your lead, the quieter you should cheer.

It isn't the quiet parents that need to fix their behavior, it's the folks that cause the issues that need to realize they're the catalyst and correct their actions.

by 1more_dd_dad 15/11/12, 09:07 am

Xara wrote:
1more_dd_dad wrote:You don't have to stay on your sideline IF you know how to behave. A wise select parent that frequents this board once told me to treat everyone as if they would be on your sideline tomorrow. That is the best advice I could give new parents. My DD mostly plays defender so you betcha when she plays forward or mid I will be in the attacking third regardless whose sideline it is, but..... I will always throw out the "nice tackle" or "well played number whatever". Stay cordial, take some pictures and keep your mouth shut, if you can't do that, stay on your own side.

And therein lies the problem, 1more. It is contradictive to cheer your daughter AND keep your mouth shut, isn't it?

I assume you're probably a nice guy/gal and may be one of the very, very few that can keep MOSTLY quiet... save the regular verbal pats-on-the-back. But if you're mixed in with a bunch of hair-trigger soccer parents whose daughters' team just happens to be losing, you're statements are like throwing gas on a brush fire. And I have yet to see even a "quiet" interloper from the opposing side that can stifle their excitement when a score is made for their team or chill after a particularly bad call from an official against the team they support. Again, more fuel.

This is about the time someone again counters ad nauseum about it being their "right" to stand where he wants... and it usually (but not always) is. It's also my right to walk down dark alleys around downtown Dallas or wear sunglasses and a hoodie when going into a bank. Bad ideas that could cause big problems, but hey, I can do what I want if it's not technically breaking any laws.

I meant compliments for the opposing players.

by justsayin02 15/11/12, 10:28 am

Big problem is most loudmouths dont care and many dont even realize they are actually a loudmouth. If they ever shut up for a second and they hear you say just one thing, they conclude that you must do that all game too, so they must be fine!
As a manager, one of your jobs is to monitor your sideline. In Select it can be a huge issue/dire circumstances, if you are trying to get next years bye, if one of your parents ruins a game for your team. It is best to warn your parents that if you hear them coaching or talking to other players on the field during the game that you will ask them to stop and if they cant you may have to ask them to sit out a game. (under coaches orders of course) It is better for them to hear it from you and know that they will get ZERO support from you or coach if they ref or field marshal calls them out. Many loudmouths also feel they are doing it "for the team" that they are the ones that are sticking up for everyone and they are only saying what everyone else would want to anyway.
If you are on a team with a loudmouth you can not sit by and laugh and stand next to them because the drama is interesting. They are the ones that should be shown the door before the whole team is. My parents tell our occasional offenders to be quiet before we get in trouble, or they tell me and I talk to them, if that doesnt work a little coaxing from the field marshal can do the trick sometimes too. When youre older or in the position to have to provide your own field marshals, I have found this is a good job sometimes for the people who can not hold their comments because at that point they are no longer a parent they have a job and it doesnt invovle a lot of intrusive yelling in favor of one or the other team.
Usually the stupid dont know theyre stupid the loud dont know theyre loud and the obnoxious dont know theyre obnoxious and even with punishment or lectures they still think you must have the wrong guy because what they do isnt that bad or they think it is supporting the team so how can that be bad. They could read this whole topic and not even know we are talking about them. So to address the loudmouth on the forum, the point is futile (unless it is face to face).

by Guest 15/11/12, 01:51 pm

1more_dd_dad wrote:
Xara wrote:
1more_dd_dad wrote:You don't have to stay on your sideline IF you know how to behave. A wise select parent that frequents this board once told me to treat everyone as if they would be on your sideline tomorrow. That is the best advice I could give new parents. My DD mostly plays defender so you betcha when she plays forward or mid I will be in the attacking third regardless whose sideline it is, but..... I will always throw out the "nice tackle" or "well played number whatever". Stay cordial, take some pictures and keep your mouth shut, if you can't do that, stay on your own side.

And therein lies the problem, 1more. It is contradictive to cheer your daughter AND keep your mouth shut, isn't it?

I assume you're probably a nice guy/gal and may be one of the very, very few that can keep MOSTLY quiet... save the regular verbal pats-on-the-back. But if you're mixed in with a bunch of hair-trigger soccer parents whose daughters' team just happens to be losing, you're statements are like throwing gas on a brush fire. And I have yet to see even a "quiet" interloper from the opposing side that can stifle their excitement when a score is made for their team or chill after a particularly bad call from an official against the team they support. Again, more fuel.

This is about the time someone again counters ad nauseum about it being their "right" to stand where he wants... and it usually (but not always) is. It's also my right to walk down dark alleys around downtown Dallas or wear sunglasses and a hoodie when going into a bank. Bad ideas that could cause big problems, but hey, I can do what I want if it's not technically breaking any laws.

I meant compliments for the opposing players.

Any yahoo could see you mentioned compliments like "nice tackle" and "number whatever" after informing us you'd be supporting your daughter when she's attacking. Of course you'd be talking about the other team. Either someone has recently hijacked xara's account, or I've given her too much credit all along. Sad

by Guest 15/11/12, 02:25 pm

3-4-3 wrote:
1more_dd_dad wrote:
Xara wrote:
1more_dd_dad wrote:You don't have to stay on your sideline IF you know how to behave. A wise select parent that frequents this board once told me to treat everyone as if they would be on your sideline tomorrow. That is the best advice I could give new parents. My DD mostly plays defender so you betcha when she plays forward or mid I will be in the attacking third regardless whose sideline it is, but..... I will always throw out the "nice tackle" or "well played number whatever". Stay cordial, take some pictures and keep your mouth shut, if you can't do that, stay on your own side.

And therein lies the problem, 1more. It is contradictive to cheer your daughter AND keep your mouth shut, isn't it?

I assume you're probably a nice guy/gal and may be one of the very, very few that can keep MOSTLY quiet... save the regular verbal pats-on-the-back. But if you're mixed in with a bunch of hair-trigger soccer parents whose daughters' team just happens to be losing, you're statements are like throwing gas on a brush fire. And I have yet to see even a "quiet" interloper from the opposing side that can stifle their excitement when a score is made for their team or chill after a particularly bad call from an official against the team they support. Again, more fuel.

This is about the time someone again counters ad nauseum about it being their "right" to stand where he wants... and it usually (but not always) is. It's also my right to walk down dark alleys around downtown Dallas or wear sunglasses and a hoodie when going into a bank. Bad ideas that could cause big problems, but hey, I can do what I want if it's not technically breaking any laws.

I meant compliments for the opposing players.

Any yahoo could see you mentioned compliments like "nice tackle" and "number whatever" after informing us you'd be supporting your daughter when she's attacking. Of course you'd be talking about the other team. Either someone has recenly hijacked xara's account, or I've given her too much credit all along.

Your highlighting the points that make your case, 3-4-3. Are you sure you don't work for NBC? "Regardless of whose sideline it is" indicated that 1MoreDD was making statements at either end of the field, and that's why I responded. My apologies for the misunderstanding, 1MoreDD. To 3-4-3, it might be a good time to review the old 7th grade language arts lesson on antecedents and anaphors before going to bat for another poster. Do I get my credit back now?

by LoneStar 15/11/12, 04:02 pm

Bottom line we are all there to watch our kids play, we all hate the parent who comes on our side and states that there is no rule for them being there and they are going to say what they are going to say. This is much more prevalent in the academy ages and early select.

As a few have posted, some parents get overcharged up and excited(especially if you are in middle of the parents, that is why I sit by the goal)

As others have stated relax it does all work out, watch your kid make sure she is playing for the right reasons and having fun. All changes once they hit middle school and high school(boys, school, sports, driving and etc)

I still think the amount of leagues, competition and quality of fields and refs are not good for girls development.

by bigtex75081 16/11/12, 08:17 am

justsayin02 wrote:Big problem is most loudmouths dont care and many dont even realize they are actually a loudmouth. If they ever shut up for a second and they hear you say just one thing, they conclude that you must do that all game too, so they must be fine!
As a manager, one of your jobs is to monitor your sideline. In Select it can be a huge issue/dire circumstances, if you are trying to get next years bye, if one of your parents ruins a game for your team. It is best to warn your parents that if you hear them coaching or talking to other players on the field during the game that you will ask them to stop and if they cant you may have to ask them to sit out a game. (under coaches orders of course) It is better for them to hear it from you and know that they will get ZERO support from you or coach if they ref or field marshal calls them out. Many loudmouths also feel they are doing it "for the team" that they are the ones that are sticking up for everyone and they are only saying what everyone else would want to anyway.
If you are on a team with a loudmouth you can not sit by and laugh and stand next to them because the drama is interesting. They are the ones that should be shown the door before the whole team is. My parents tell our occasional offenders to be quiet before we get in trouble, or they tell me and I talk to them, if that doesnt work a little coaxing from the field marshal can do the trick sometimes too. When youre older or in the position to have to provide your own field marshals, I have found this is a good job sometimes for the people who can not hold their comments because at that point they are no longer a parent they have a job and it doesnt invovle a lot of intrusive yelling in favor of one or the other team.
Usually the stupid dont know theyre stupid the loud dont know theyre loud and the obnoxious dont know theyre obnoxious and even with punishment or lectures they still think you must have the wrong guy because what they do isnt that bad or they think it is supporting the team so how can that be bad. They could read this whole topic and not even know we are talking about them. So to address the loudmouth on the forum, the point is futile (unless it is face to face).

You’re right. I still think it’s funny though how little self-awareness some of these loudmouths have.

These people always justify their bad behavior to themselves with the idea that their providing some type of service to their team. They somehow believe that yelling at children, or berating an under-paid referee, or instigating conflicts between parents, is somehow adding value to their child’s experience. I don’t know how they can justify it to themselves but they do.

These loudmouths just need to come to the realization that they aren’t adding any value, that they’re the cancer causing problems within the team. They need to learn to sit down and shut up.

by Guest 16/11/12, 08:51 am

REALLY LIKE!

by JeffM 16/11/12, 09:13 am

DEUCEE'Sdaddy wrote:*Disclaimer*

The Content of this Post is in NO Way Directed Towards Any Parent OR Team in Particular, Unless You're w/that One Team we Played That Day, w/that One Parent, in that Tournament... Sure

Does Anyone Else Get PEEVED about Sideline Etiquette (or the LACK Thereof) During Soccer Games???...I Do...Here's a Few EASY Solutions to Keeping BOTH Groups of Parents in a Relatively HAPPY Place...

1. Sit w/YOUR TEAM'S Parents - Don't just Sit ANYWHERE...It's Usually Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt, Uncle, etc., who Violate this Code, but Every Now Then, Someone who Should KNOW BETTER Goes There Too...If You're Standing in a Sea of RED, KNOWING your Team's Colors are Other than Red, DON'T Set Up Chairs There, Please???...Simply Find YOUR DD's Team Parents & Sit w/Them... But what if you like the red parents beter?

2. Sit Across from YOUR TEAM'S Bench - Self Explanatory... But I already sat down.

3. SHARE the Sideline EQUALLY - It Doesn't Get Much Worse than when a Group of Entitled Team Parents Sit on BOTH SIDES of the Mid-Line...STRADDLING the Mid-Line, in Other Words...no,No,NO!!! ...PRETEND the Mid-Line Stretches Beyond the Sidelines... We have to make sure the AR gets the offsides right

It's EXTREMELY Inconsiderate for 1 Team to Take Up the MAJORITY of the Sideline...Not Soooo Loooong Ago, I Encountered Some Parents who Took Up 3/4ths of the Sidelines, as if NONE of my DD's Team Parents had Chairs OR Any Interest in Sitting Down...WHO Does that???... Teams with large families.

Whether your Team is the Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread or the 110th Squad on BW's Rankings, the Sideline is there to Be SHARED EQUALLY...1st Come, 1st Served Applies to YOUR SIDE, Not Both Sides...Yes, 1 or 2 Parents on the Other Side of the Mid-Line is a VIOLATION...Yes, Other Parents WILL NOTICE those 1 or 2 Parents Sitting on the Other Side of the Mid-Line... We should all come together and become one soccer family

4. REMAIN on Your Side of the Sideline - Unless your DD is the Goalie is there REALLY Any Reason to Go to the Opposing Teams Side???...Your DD's Coach DOESN'T Want her Listening to You Anyways, So Why Bother???... But I have to yell at the AR for missing the offsides referenced above.

On this Note, Don't Be the Loud, Belligerent, STEROID Dad (You KNOW Who You Are) who Inevitably Finds Himself in a Mini-Altercation, Because he INSISTS on Cheerleading from the OTHER Teams Sideline, Even when his Team is UP by a Ton of Goals... But I want my DD to have a POSITIVE experience. I don't want you pencil-necks getting out of line.

5. Be Aware of the BLEACHERS - It's Tyically No Problem to Plop Down your Chairs in Front of Bleachers, Since they're Elevated...But if You're Dirk Nowitzki's Height, or Anywhere Close, Can You MAYBE Consider Sitting to EITHER SIDE of the Bleacher???....Fuuuuuurthermore, Don't Sit Directly in Front of the Bleacher, Open Up a Friggin UMBRELLA, then Get UPSET when a Bleacher Parent Asks you to Move the Umbrella or Your Person... But my delicate skin.

For the Most Part, Soccer Parents have GOOD Sideline Etiquette...We're All There to Cheer & Cheer HARD...We All Ride the Refs about Calls (or NON-Calls) from Time to Time...But the 5 Things I've Noted Stand Out when they Occur...I'm Considering Carrying Around Yellow and Red Cards to Issue to Offenders...Call me the Sideline Police... Quit trying to mess up my fun.

Perhaps it's just Me or Perhaps Some of You have Sideline Grievances of Your Own???...

by 10sDad 16/11/12, 02:03 pm

Had a couple unruly parents on my older BB's team...team manager used to walk over and hand them a tootsie pop when they started yapping or yelling negative things...that shut them up.

by SteamingBean 16/11/12, 03:28 pm

Maybe it’s just old age ..been at this a long time, with a dd in the Pac-12 and 3 more between ’95 & ’03.. But we usually just “let ‘em play” while we (a few dads on our team, some opposing dads we’ve become friends with through the years, and a director/marshal or two) stand off to the side, scratching our butts and discussing cars, politics, guitars, XARA’s wisdom, and college football. Three of us opposing pops played against each other in the old SW Conf so we are still rehashing 27-yr old blown plays. We’ve never had the desire to yell much at dd’s games, except when we get a leg cramp walking too quickly after an out-of-play soccer ball; or that one time we all threw our backs out when we simultaneously turned our heads too quickly upon hearing someone say, “Is that a beer cart??” What they actually said was, “did you hear the ref fart” or something like that, but by then it was too late. Painful. We’ve even been known to congratulate each other’s opposing kid when they do something fabulous, heaven forbid.

I do make sure that wherever we stand my 03 GK has a clear view of the big “thumbs up” I give her whenever she makes a great save or when she gets beat. Gives her comfort, and the little grin I get in return does the same for me.

The joy of old age. Senility is bliss

by Guest 16/11/12, 03:45 pm

SteamingBean wrote:Maybe it’s just old age ..been at this a long time, with a dd in the Pac-12 and 3 more between ’95 & ’03.. But we usually just “let ‘em play” while we (a few dads on our team, some opposing dads we’ve become friends with through the years, and a director/marshal or two) stand off to the side, scratching our butts and discussing cars, politics, guitars, XARA’s wisdom, and college football. Three of us opposing pops played against each other in the old SW Conf so we are still rehashing 27-yr old blown plays. We’ve never had the desire to yell much at dd’s games, except when we get a leg cramp walking too quickly after an out-of-play soccer ball; or that one time we all threw our backs out when we simultaneously turned our heads too quickly upon hearing someone say, “Is that a beer cart??” What they actually said was, “did you hear the ref fart” or something like that, but by then it was too late. Painful. We’ve even been known to congratulate each other’s opposing kid when they do something fabulous, heaven forbid.

I do make sure that wherever we stand my 03 GK has a clear view of the big “thumbs up” I give her whenever she makes a great save or when she gets beat. Gives her comfort, and the little grin I get in return does the same for me.

The joy of old age. Senility is bliss

Yours is a voice of sanity and reason in an otherwise over hyped, ego driven world of little girl soccer parents. You are the person I was talking about when I said it shouldn't matter where a person stands. No one would have a problem with your actions as you have described and if they did, TOO BAD. I make every effort to behave similarly to you at games and do not get loud or obnoxious during games. Therefore, this weekend, I will stand wherever I please and I guarantee I will not have a problem with any parents and none of them will have a problem with me.

See folks, it can be accomplished, but only with a little experience, wisdom and perspective.

by Guest 16/11/12, 03:55 pm

RunsLikeWind wrote:
See folks, it can be accomplished, but only with a little experience, wisdom and perspective.

...and if the majority of NTX sports parents possessed any of the those, this thread would never had been started in the first place...

by Goth Right 16/11/12, 06:12 pm

Let the parents go wild it make the games exciting if the coach doesnt like it get a new coach. Let the party begin.

by soccer4fun 16/11/12, 09:42 pm

SteamingBean wrote:Maybe it’s just old age ..been at this a long time, with a dd in the Pac-12 and 3 more between ’95 & ’03.. But we usually just “let ‘em play” while we (a few dads on our team, some opposing dads we’ve become friends with through the years, and a director/marshal or two) stand off to the side, scratching our butts and discussing cars, politics, guitars, XARA’s wisdom, and college football. Three of us opposing pops played against each other in the old SW Conf so we are still rehashing 27-yr old blown plays. We’ve never had the desire to yell much at dd’s games, except when we get a leg cramp walking too quickly after an out-of-play soccer ball; or that one time we all threw our backs out when we simultaneously turned our heads too quickly upon hearing someone say, “Is that a beer cart??” What they actually said was, “did you hear the ref fart” or something like that, but by then it was too late. Painful. We’ve even been known to congratulate each other’s opposing kid when they do something fabulous, heaven forbid.

I do make sure that wherever we stand my 03 GK has a clear view of the big “thumbs up” I give her whenever she makes a great save or when she gets beat. Gives her comfort, and the little grin I get in return does the same for me.

The joy of old age. Senility is bliss

Great post and very well said

by FriscoSoccer2004 16/11/12, 10:33 pm

SteamingBean wrote:Maybe it’s just old age ..been at this a long time, with a dd in the Pac-12 and 3 more between ’95 & ’03.. But we usually just “let ‘em play” while we (a few dads on our team, some opposing dads we’ve become friends with through the years, and a director/marshal or two) stand off to the side, scratching our butts and discussing cars, politics, guitars, XARA’s wisdom, and college football. Three of us opposing pops played against each other in the old SW Conf so we are still rehashing 27-yr old blown plays. We’ve never had the desire to yell much at dd’s games, except when we get a leg cramp walking too quickly after an out-of-play soccer ball; or that one time we all threw our backs out when we simultaneously turned our heads too quickly upon hearing someone say, “Is that a beer cart??” What they actually said was, “did you hear the ref fart” or something like that, but by then it was too late. Painful. We’ve even been known to congratulate each other’s opposing kid when they do something fabulous, heaven forbid.

I do make sure that wherever we stand my 03 GK has a clear view of the big “thumbs up” I give her whenever she makes a great save or when she gets beat. Gives her comfort, and the little grin I get in return does the same for me.

The joy of old age. Senility is bliss

Greatness!

by Sweet_feet99 17/11/12, 02:18 am

by Guest 17/11/12, 07:48 am

SteamingBean wrote:Maybe it’s just old age ..been at this a long time, with a dd in the Pac-12 and 3 more between ’95 & ’03.. But we usually just “let ‘em play” while we (a few dads on our team, some opposing dads we’ve become friends with through the years, and a director/marshal or two) stand off to the side, scratching our butts and discussing cars, politics, guitars, XARA’s wisdom, and college football. Three of us opposing pops played against each other in the old SW Conf so we are still rehashing 27-yr old blown plays. We’ve never had the desire to yell much at dd’s games, except when we get a leg cramp walking too quickly after an out-of-play soccer ball; or that one time we all threw our backs out when we simultaneously turned our heads too quickly upon hearing someone say, “Is that a beer cart??” What they actually said was, “did you hear the ref fart” or something like that, but by then it was too late. Painful. We’ve even been known to congratulate each other’s opposing kid when they do something fabulous, heaven forbid.

I do make sure that wherever we stand my 03 GK has a clear view of the big “thumbs up” I give her whenever she makes a great save or when she gets beat. Gives her comfort, and the little grin I get in return does the same for me.

The joy of old age. Senility is bliss

Senility? Perhaps. But when you've gotten to the point of using "Xara" and "wisdom" in close proximity in a sentence, even I'll concede it could be full blown schizophrenia. May be time to supplement your Geritol with 100mg of Lithium. Then you'll really enjoy the games.

Nice post; Alzheimer's induced or not.

by dadof3 17/11/12, 10:44 am

LOL! THAT was funny.

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