Seriously, it is not about you....

[bvmom]

I have a love-hate relationship with indoor sports. I love the temperature controlled environment. I detest the behavior of the "fans". In a gym you can hear the other parents who are screaming insults at the officials, the other team, and the other parents. Tonight we had our first parent ejection (from a girls' game). Sadly I had seen this parent in action in the past --now I know his name. He was a parent of the opposing team.

I really wish my video was working today on my phone as I would have taped him and sent it to the sports commissioner. It is an embarrassment to the school, to the child, and also any other activity that his children are a member.

I think as moms it is important that if a parent of one of our players is out of control, we need to step up--talk to him or minimally email the coach and express our displeasure.

It is supposed to be about the players not a parental ego trip!

[cnnplus5]

I don't get this either...at. all. I've never had my kids on a team where there are bad parents but I've observed them on other teams and I always feel so bad for the kids...seriously, can you take your identity crisis somewhere else? Sometimes I wish they would eject those parents quicker...would be so much nicer for the rest of us!

[maggieS]

I've only seen this once--a mom was so upset at an umpire's call that she started cussing up a storm. And she wouldn't quit. She just went on and on and on with the foul language and the complaining. I finally had to take my younger kids and leave; the athletic director finally ended up dealing with her. The way she was acting, I wish they had just called the game or ejected her. I wondered how embarrassed her son was.

[sahmiam43]

I could not agree with you more! I used to think it was because I wasn't "sporty" and just didn't get into the games like some people do, but naw, they are just wrong.

Once I saw this mom - and to some degree the grandparents who were with her--really getting nasty and vile towards the coach and players of a team we were playing. Turns out the coach was her husband. Double embarassment!

[signefreed]

I have seen a handful of times too and it's sad. I do point it out to my daughter as a prime example of poor sportsmanship and just looking like a straight fool. I have yet to see a parent get a ejected from a game, thankfully. Although, there have been a few times where I thought the ref. should have done. Some of these parents, when they are amongst "friends" (supporters), feel some sort of entitlement that is pretty unreal. It is bully like in nature and it's too bad that even as adults the opposing side doesn't nip the bud, because they are worried about bruising friendships or retaliation.

[cnnplus5]

I think it's probably hard for some of those ref's to eject a parent a lot of them are just high shoolers...

[bvmom]

In our league the parent can be ejected by an administrator. In this situation the administrator ejected him and I agree about the other parents encouraging his behavior. It was an example of mob mentality (not as belligerent, but nasty comments). I have seen it before in competitive sports, however, never at a no-cut essentially Recreational game. Sadly many of these parents belong to a couple large organizations in the community so it also tarnishes the image of those organizations. From the outside the example being modeled is of members that feel self-entitled and due to money can insult others and disrespect those in service roles.

[moosebane]

It's my considered opinion that sports are just overblown anyway, and rife with bad behavior on every level. How can we expect people to behave themselves at kids' games when pros act like idiots and still make fifteen squillion dollars a year? If pro athletics would lead by example (since evidently the parents of the kid players won't), and get rid of players who can't or won't shape up into real people minus the entitlement mentality, then maybe we could get people on the kid level to understand that while sports have their place, it's not the be-all and end-all of existence. It has always rankled with me that athletes get away with so much because sports bring in so much money. Look at damn near any college or university.