We’re watching the soccer game and we can’t help it- we say things some times.
Sometimes we actually say helpful things.
But most of the time, what we say is pretty useless.
Even the helpful things are useless because the kids are busy playing soccer.
My boys’ soccer club has a “no coaching from the sidelines” rule which means the only thing you’re supposed to do while you’re watching is to cheer. Nice play, good try, way to go, that sort of thing. The rationale being that the kids should be listening to the coach, that what we tell them could be the exact opposite of what they were instructed to do. Or we could make it hard for the kids to hear the coach. Plus, it’s distracting to the kids who naturally turn in the direction of who is talking(yelling) at them while they’re supposed to have their eye on the ball.
But how well parents (myself included) actually follow this rule is a little debatable. I’ve been a soccer mom for 12 seasons now and a coach’s wife for the 14 years of our marriage, so sometimes I just mutter under my breath rather than actually scream these things out… but I’m definitely not innocent here.
This weekend, we were at a soccer tournament, with a break of a few hours between games- not enough time to make the trip home and back, but with enough spare time to compile some of the common ridiculous things us soccer parents yell during a game.
I’ve probably yelled 80% of these at one point or another, even though none of them are actually helpful to the kids trying to play out on the field.
What else have you heard (or yelled yourself) on the sidelines of a soccer game?
More Soccer Mom Reading:
9 Soccer Mom Problems
Confessions from an Imperfect Soccer Mom
How to Make a Soccer Mom Shirt
7 Reasons I Suck as a Soccer Mom
My kids don’t even play soccer, but I was amused! Natalie did one stint of baseball and I couldn’t believe some of things parents were yelling at their kids.