Soccer Parents @$#!

I've got two kids that play soccer and I'm glad because I don't think I could stand much more.  (We are trying to get A to play next season, but I'm almost questioning that?!)  I enjoy watching my kids play and I'm actually enjoying watching and learning the game--something I didn't think I would ever do.  I love sports as a rule, but I wasn't sure I'd ever really get into the game because I didn't think it would be that exciting considering typical low scores, etc.

The soccer parents I could do without....

Actually, I don't think it's just soccer parents.....  I think most sports parents are complete butt heads and make asses of themselves on a regular basis.  I even find myself going down the wrong road occasionally before I have to tell myself to zip it and zip it good.

I think we all on some level think our kids are the best players ever in their sport and that they can do no wrong...right?  I don't most of the time.  I'm uber supportive of C, especially, but I do always think that both girls could practice more and learn more so that they would play better.  C wants to be a soccer star in some form or another, but she only seems to put in so much time and I think it should be more since she's not a natural talent.  I will never question her effort during a game, although she probably has some games where she doesn't for whatever reason put in 100%,  because it always looks like she's playing all out.

We decided to let her play competitive soccer this season.  She'd played on rec leagues for a couple of years, but there is a distinct fall off in participation in rec leagues for her age.  A competitive team was an option so we went with that because of her professed desire to play more than just school ball, the crappy soccer situation at EHS, and more than one person advising us that she's more likely to get noticed playing for a club than at school.

She only tried out for one team....  She was pretty excited to have made the team and didn't think anything of not making the top level team in the club.  She was glad to have made the same team with her good friend and daughter of her old soccer coach.  We all were pretty naive to the whole thing, but boy did we learn a lot about the whole soccer club scene.  There are 17 girls on her team as one girl had to drop out because of illness.  The teams play with 11 on the field.  C's preferred position is Right Fullback, although she played a Mid position at high school.  Her coach has soccer experience having played himself through college and coached boys in some type of league, but this is his first time coaching girls.  C has played most of the minutes of her games as the team is light with defenders--everyone prefers the mid or forward positions.

C's team hasn't done very well.  They won one game in a tournament that they started their season with.  They've scored a a total of four or five goals in five regular games and six tournament games--if you don't count the one goal C scored--an own goal--last Friday night.  (Yes, she was devastated!)  C's trying to stay positive, but she's disappointed.  I don't blame her.

The thing I'm most disturbed about and is so deflating are the parents.  I'm going to say that many of them are really obnoxious.  After just the first game, I figure out there were people I couldn't stand to sit by.  This far into the season, we've taken to sitting by ourselves....or with C's old coach if she's there.  The tournament last weekend was the worst.  Parents questioning quite vocally ref calls (as if that will get you anywhere besides sitting in your car), coaching from the sidelines, and all out bad mouthing their own kids!!!  We sat in front of one mom on Saturday and couldn't believe how awful she was.  On Sunday, I got situated and then realized she was sitting behind me so I moved down by myself on the sidelines since M and the coach friend couldn't come.  All the other parents sat up on the hill.  As I was yelling Go, Blue and being positive these parents moaning, groaning, and all out criticizing.

Awful!  The worst mom at one point was yelling at her daughter to get off the field and that she was a waste of space.  Are you kidding me?  The ref came over and warned all the parents to be quiet or else previously, but she still kept talking.  At this comment, the step dad of one of the girls finally looked at her and told her that she didn't know what the hell she was talking about and to shut up.

This is what I was told as I missed all the drama since I wasn't sitting with them.  My friend called later that night to ask about all the drama.  I'm not sorry I missed it.

C says the girls on the field really can't hear the parents.  I would hope not.  I hope this woman's daughter can't, but can you imagine what she's like at home?!