Youth sports is a mainstay in the Knoxville Knox County area and I am proud to have been a part of it for the better part of thirty years, as a player, coach, parent, or administrator. I have coached many different sports, and at all levels. One thing I’ve noticed, rarely does a child get ejected from a game. Coaches and parents however are another story.
     Often time’s parents tell their children to “act right”, “grow up”, or better yet “you know what I expect of you”. Many parents should consider what their kids expect of them. As a youth baseball commissioner, countless times I have seen children get very upset and embarrassed by their parents actions at the ball park. Kids do understand that parents tend to lose themselves in the “moment” or “heat of the battle”, but they should still refrain from acting immature. Parents need to remember, they’re only kids and it’s only a game.
     Kids expect their parents to show up on game day ready to cheer them on, not yell at the umpires or get into shouting matches with other parents. Kids expect their parents to shout encouragement not criticism. Kids need and want their parents support regardless of their ability, they do not want to be compared to other players. Kids do not want their parents to make snide remarks about other players who may have made a mistake. In simpler terms kids expect their parents to act like… well adults. My son, who is an avid baseball player, likes to quote one of his favorite films Little Big League when he says “baseball is for kids, grown ups only mess it up”. So it goes for all sports.

     Now days I tend to go to games and cheer for everyone participating on both teams, especially when an exceptionally good play has been made regardless of whom or which team made it. I have grown to understand, my son will ask me when he wants my view of how he could have better played a certain ball, or how better to use his turn at bat in certain situations..
     Many parents, according to my son and some of his teammates, have pushed their children away form the sports they love by taking it entirely too seriously. One of the great things about being a kid is not worrying about anything. As parents, we should strive to keep it that way. So parents, the next time you’re at the park, “step up to the plate” and act responsibly.

Focus On Youth Sports