Parental guidance

Football may be a team game and for most parents, they don’t care about stats or rewards. But there are those who chase them and want their kids to pad their goal tally even if it doesn’t benefit the team

When my friend Jinggoy Roa, who is in charge of futsal development in the Central Visayas Football Association, posted something about how parents should act in sports, the reaction it got showed the problem of parents misbehaving in sports is still an issue.

In football, the problem becomes complicated when the parent invovled doesn’t know his or her place and tries to impose what he or she thinks is good for the kid but is detrimental to the team.

Football may be a team game and for most parents, they don’t care about stats or rewards. But there are those who chase them and want their kids to pad their goals even if it doesn’t benefit the team.

Curiously, these types of parents seem to relive their athletic dreams through their kids and it seems they’re trying to get over their frustrations with a second

shot at stardom, albeit indirectly.

Here’s what coach Jinggoy shared. It’s just nine points.

1) Don’t shout or yell criticisms at players.

2) Remain in the spectator area.

3) Don’t interfere with the coach.

4.) Let the referees do their job.

5) Control your emotions. 6.) Keep your composure. 7) Do not instruct players in games.

8) Do not argue with opposition parents or players.

9) Be a good role model. If you have done doing all nine, then good for you. You’re a positive influence in the game, one that we need to be more involved by not getting involved, if you get my drift.

Unfortunately, most can’t seem to follow no. 4 and no. 8 and I’ve seen shouting matches from the sidelines where the referees and the opposing players become the subject of their verbal abuse.

I know some of the coaches try their best to control the parents of their players but some are just too darn stubborn and set in their ways. Sometimes, you see the best and worst of them when their team is losing.

How do we avoid these types or parents and can they be controlled? I guess it all boils down to how they were introduced to the game when their kids were young.

I hope they’ll realize that this chapter of their kids’ lives— their being involved in sports— is just a phase and they should be good role models. Jeez, if this early they show their kids that winning is everything and it doesn’t matter if you lie, steal or cheat your way to no. 1, what do you think these kids will be doing when they become professionals?