Youth Sports: 10 (More) Types of Sports Parents

Crazy Youth Sport Parents Series

One of my most popular posts was the called the The 10 types of Youth Sports Parents (Part 1). It was a descriptive list of parents that you'll likely find on the sidelines of every youth sports event. Here's 10 more.

Which one are you? Of course you can be more than one.

1) The Player Agent Dad - This dad only cares about the team if his kid is the captain and the team is winning in the most competitive league. Otherwise, he is working the phones to negotiate a possible trade to another team with a better situation. His prodigy will play on more little league teams before age 11 than Matt Stairs played on during his MLB career. Matt Stairs played on a record 13 MLB teams plus the Chunichi Dragons during his career. (Hat tip Anonymous Reader of Part 1)

2) The Supply Depot Mom - This is the mom with all the solutions. When Johnny, the star wide receiver, has to go number 2 right before the game and the only option is a port-a-potty without toilet paper, the coach calls on the Supply Depot Mom. He knows that there's a good chance she'll have a roll of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. This mom also has a full set of tools to fix equipment, ice packs, hair paint, eye black, an extra score book, pencils, extra sunglasses, a needle and thread, chalk to line the fields, etc. (Hat tip to The Trophy Mom)


3) The Roughrider Dad - This is the dad who arrives at the game with a saddle and cowboy boots. He will to ride the ref from wire to wire and go to the whip early and often if he has to.


4) The View Mom - This is the mom who gets to the field early to set up her chair right in the center of the field and saves the spots around her for other cackling moms. She's not there to see the game, however, she's there to lead a discussion. People joke that she's like Barbara Walters hosting The View, but they really aren't joking. During the game, the View Moms will answer the most pressing questions of the day like; Who's gonna win Dancing with the Stars?, Does Michelle Obama have any clothes with sleeves?, and Does the Dreamy Doctor Oz do house calls? At the end of the game, however, none of them can answer this simple question, "Mommy, Mommy, Did you see my goal?"


5) Grounds Crew Dad - This is the dad who is the first one to volunteer to prepare the fields for the game. You do not need to thank the Grounds Crew Dad, the opportunity to drive the John Deere is thanks enough.


6) The Spirit Wear SalesMom - Is this an overly enthusiastic booster or a profit-minded entrepreneur? I'm not sure, but this mom sets up shop in the back of her mini-van and has a full line of spirit wear including shirts, hats, sweatpants, mouse pads and team coffee mugs. And yes, she accepts AMEX.


Click Read More for 7 through 10

Youth Sports: US Youth Sports Parents The World's Worst

We're the worst!#@!

I was surprised, but not really, when I read that US youth sports parents ranked the worst in terms of sideline behavior in a well written post on the blog Ask Coach Wolff by Doug Abrams called If Parents and Coaches Were Angels. 


Reuters News and Ipsos conducted a 22 nation poll that ranked parents in the USA as the world's worst behaved at youth sporting events.

Percentage of people who reported that they had attended youth sports contests and witnessed parents being verbally or physically abusive toward coaches or officials: 

#1 USA (60%)

#2 India (59%)

Suck it India USA is #1

#3 Italy (55%)

#4 Argentina (54%)

#5 Canada (53%)

The Main Point

60% really. It has to be much higher than that. The only way it could be 60% is if 40% of the people who attend youth sporting events in America with any regularity are deaf and blind. 

I'm considered a calm person and I've barked at incompetent refs, annoying coaches and my kids on occasion. Almost every game I watch I see one of the behaviors listed below. The other polls Doug Abrams quotes show the numbers much higher.

Here are all the scenarios - lets √ to see if my kids and I have witnessed the following behaviors:

√ Youth athletes watched parents yelling at children

√ Youth athlete watched parents yelling at coaches or officials

√ Youth athletes had watched coaches yelling at officials or children

√ Youth had watched violence by an adult fan in the stands against other adults

√ Youth had watched violence by an adult fan against a ref

Youth Sports: 10 Types of Youth Sports Parents

Crazy Youth Sport Parents Series

Here are 10 types of Youth Sports Parents that you will likely find on the sidelines of every youth sports event. Which one are you? Of course you can be more than one.

1) The EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) Parent - This is the mom or dad who calls timeout and runs out on to the field when little Johnny falls and scrapes his knee. Hey EMT parent, the kid is probably crying because he's embarrassed not hurt. You'll just embarrass him more by running onto the field. Let the coaches or trainers attend to your "injured" kid. (I have two counts of impersonating an EMT against me. Read Youth Basketball Busted Lip)

Papa-razzi

2) The Papa-razzi - This is the dad who takes 500 digital pictures at each game and then uploads every single image regardless of quality or redundancy onto Flickr. Truth be known, the Papa-razzi wants to punish all parents who don't care enough to take their own pictures. He secretly wants non-picture taking parents to painstakingly click through all 500 images (mostly of the Papa-razzi's kid) to see one shot of their own kid. (Papa-razzi please edit down to the top 2 or 3 images of each kid before you upload.)

3) The Conspirator Parent - This is the perpetually unhappy parent who schemes behind the scenes to overthrow the coach. This parent does not have the time to coach, nope, they are much too busy to coach. They do, however, have plenty of time to talk behind the coach's back and form alliances. (Honestly, I cannot say I am completely innocent. Some coaches are jackasses.)

4) The Overly Optimistic Cheerleader - This is the parent who is perpetually happy and cheering regardless of the situation. This parent yells GOOD TRY! for every mental and physical mistake a kid makes. Listen Overly Optimistic Cheerleader Parent please note that some kids, actually most kids would prefer it if their mistakes were not acknowledged at all, let alone with an empty compliment. (I have never been this parent)

The Stats Dad

5) The Stats Dad - This is the guy who keeps every stat on every player. The Stat Dad knows how good or bad every player is at every aspect of the game. Parents often seek his knowledge before they approach the coach about playing time. (Guilty as charged)

6) The Snack-Nazi - This is the mom who volunteers to prepare and police the snack list. She makes sure that the assigned parent brings healthy snacks for the players and their siblings.  Don't cross the Snack Nazi, she's union and she's proud.

7) The Team Mom - She's the money manager, travel agent, volunteer coordinator, chief fundraiser and website master. Quite frankly, your team sucks if you do not have a good Team Mom, even if your team is undefeated. (Read about the role of Team Moms here)

8) The Clueless Coach from the Stands Dad - This is the dad who repeatedly instructs his kid on how to do something even though he has no experience in the sport. He's the one who will wrongly yell "Son, keep your elbow up" while his son is batting. You know him.

The Hot Mom

9) The Stop, Drop and Roll Parent - This is the parent who drops off his or her kid in the parking lot for practices and games and squeals the tires to leave before their kid has a chance to get their water bottle out of the cup-holder. This is also the parent who shows up late to pick up his or her kid and makes the coach wait / babysit for 15 - 30 extra minutes after each practice. Basically kids are a major inconvenience to this type of Youth Sports Parent.

10) The Hot Mom - This is the mom who wears a push up bra under a toddler size team spirit-wear shirt. She's the one who sits in the front row of the bleachers and leans forward to show the team dads that she is wearing a thong. Even the Stop, Drop and Roll Dad will sit through a doubleheader when the Hot Mom is in attendance.

READ 10 (More) Types of Youth Sports Parents

The Main Point

Sometimes its the parents not the kids who provide the comedy, drama and action of youth sports.

 There are many other Youth Sports Parent Types - Please add some in the comments.

Youth Soccer: Respect the Ref Video

Crazy Youth Parent Series

This is a great video produced by TheFA.com called Ray Calls for Respect which clearly and effectively illustrates just how ridiculous crazy youth parents can behave on the sidelines. Verbal attacks toward the referees and their own kids can be so damaging to the kids involved and the game as a whole. It is a powerful video that all parents regardless of the sport their kids play should watch.

The Main Point

According to the video, it is getting harder and harder to find people willing to referee. I can believe this because I would not want to subject myself to the barrage of insults and complaints from crazy youth sports parents. The video correctly states that there would be no games if there are no referees. 

The other point that the video makes is that players improve by learning from their own mistakes. I have seen it in all sports where parents unrelentingly find faults with their kids performance and do not hesitate to make it public by yelling from the sidelines. Kids of parents like this eventually play tentatively. When this happens a kid starts thinking too much about what to do and not do that they do not react instinctively. A slight moment of hesitation can be the difference between success and failure. The best line in the video: How is your son suppose to learn if he's not allowed to make mistakes.

Youth Baseball: Cooperstown Dreams Park Tips and Tricks (Part 6)

The Cooperstown Dream Park Tournament is a special experience for the kids, the coaches and the umpires. It is also a memorable experience for the parents. Hopefully, a good experience.

Tip for Coaches

Coaches. I think that it would be a good idea to have a meeting with the parents to set expectations. There are some special rules in the Cooperstown Dreams Park Tournament that the parents should know. One such rule concerns the EH (Extra Hitter).

Extra Hitter (EH) - (coach's discretion: 0, 1 or 2) - If using an extra hitter(s), you may use one or two players. The extra hitter(s) MUST hit in the TENTH and ELEVENTH POSITION and CANNOT enter the game defensively to play a position. Only one (1) player may occupy each EH position per game. You may remove your EH(s) for the duration of the game at any time, without penalty. You must notify the plate umpire prior to removal. Extra Hitters must be announced prior to the start of the game; no mid-game entry is permitted.

Our coach made it known to the team that every kid would play EH at least once during the tournament and would sit out one of the six pool play games. My son told me this prior to the first game so I knew what to expect. The unexpected fuels emotions of parents.


Tip for Parents

This is a memorable experience. If your son is batting last when he usually bats up in the order do not be alarmed. Try to contain your emotions in the stands so that you are not the one who is remembered.

The Main Point

Coaches should set expectations with the kids and the parents. Parents don't be the reason that the experience is memorable.

Youth Volleyball: The Best Fan Ever

As I waited in line to pay my entry fee for the youth volleyball game, I noticed that there was a lone fan seated in the front row of the bleachers near the entrance waiting for the action to start. This fan greeted everyone who walked into the gym regardless of team affiliation. Unfortunately many of the fans ignored him.

As I walked into the gym, I received my hearty hello from the fan. I stopped to say hello and gave him a high five. My daughter and I decided to sit right behind him. As we sat down, he immediately turned around and to tell me that the blue team was playing the black team. I told him that I was rooting for the black team and asked if his brother was playing for the blue team. He responded with a huge smile, "9, mine, 9 mine" I told him that my son wore number 32. He repeated, "32 mine, 32 mine." I asked him his name. He said, "E" at first, so I called him E. Later he corrected me and told me his name was, "Ed". I asked him his age. He told me that he was 56, but I was pretty sure that he was 14 or 15.

During the entire first game, he twisted around to talk to me and my daughter. We decided to move down and sit right next to him to make it easier for him to talk to us. I was taking pictures of the action and snapped a picture of his brother. I showed him the image on the LCD and he laughed and laughed. I then used my iPhone to record a movie, I held the camera phone toward the court and we watched the the action on the phone. Ed said, "Brother on TV, brother on TV"

Ed was a big blue team supporter and every now and then he would break out with a loud cheer. Once after a particularly good play by his team, he did a little break dance routine on the floor beside the court.  My daughter and I cheered him on with delight.

As my daughter and I cheered for the members of our team like Jimmy, Nic and Andy. Ed would then start to cheer for them too. He cheered more for Nic's serves than for those of his own brother. By the end of the match, Ed was most definitely a supporter of Nic and our team.


After the game, Ed's parents were giving him the business for changing his allegiance to the enemy team. I said to his parents, "we wouldn't have won all three games without his loud and uplifting support. Ed made it seem like a home game for us." They needled him more all in good fun.

The Main Point


Ed was born with down syndrome, but we can all learn a little from Ed. Ed taught me to live life with enthusiasm regardless of your situation and cheer for everyone. Ed I will try.


Game 44

My son's volleyball team won three straight games. One of his best friends, Andy, tied a modern day volleyball record, he scored on 15 straight serves to start and finish the game. He was the only one on our side of the court to touch the ball. The one serve that the other team did manage to return went to Andy. He dove for it and somehow return it for a winner. Ed cheered like crazy when he saw that.