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Letter re: Anthony Carnovale’s column “No more seeing red” (Oct. 12)

October 19, 2023   ·   0 Comments

I couldn’t agree more with Anthony’s recent observations and assessment of out-of-control parents on the sidelines of their children’s sports games. While they typically have their children’s success in mind and are “trying” to be supportive when attending practice games or matches, too many parents become a bloody nuisance as they turn into complete freaks as soon as the game starts!

I experienced myself what Anthony describes and how this affects the entire team, and I was indirectly on the receiving end of such overzealous parents. As a soccer player in a competitive women’s league throughout my teens and early 20s, I remember one star player on our team who made a real difference to our results. That was until her overbearing father came to watch. He yelled at and corrected her the entire game – often with bad advice – and made every match unbearable, not only for her but for our entire team and our coach. It affected, i.e. diminished her efforts and our team’s success and match outcome, as well as everyone’s enjoyment of the game. 

Agreeing wholeheartedly with Anthony’s observations, I would ask sports parents: Please back the heck off during your child’s games! By all means, shout positive and supportive words occasionally, but leave them, the opposing team and the referees alone. What you think is helping your child and their team actually has the exact opposite effect and basically ruins your child’s, their team’s, and other parents’ enjoyment of any sports’ game. If you need to blow off steam, please find yourself your own activity or safe place to do so. 

 Martina Rowley

 Orangeville

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