I have attended many sporting events in my tenure as a mother, and I must say that sometimes watching my fellow parents is as entertaining as the actual game.
Over the years, I’ve noticed one of at least five different personality traits in others and (admittedly) even occasionally seen a few of these in myself.
Which one of these 5 personality types are you at your child’s sporting event?
The Cheerleader: This person is usually found clapping and yelling messages from somewhere out of earshot of the players, but they do it anyway. This may interest you : 15 Best Halloween Costumes for Women 2022: From Ghostbusters to Zombie Cheerleader | the united states sun. They think the positive vibes will reach their ears, or maybe it’s a not-so-subtle reminder of a different type of parent…
The Angry Screamer: You’ve often heard them (because you can’t help but hear them) yelling at their child at high decibels, telling them what to do, what they did wrong, and how to do it next time. This sporty parent often goes through phases of yelling followed by arms crossed and furious, colorful, mumbling under his breath, as if trying to hold back until the noise comes back on.
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The Self-Proclaimed Coach: A know-it-all who simply believes he understands the game, the players, the plays, and everything else better than the actual coaches. They often wave their arms, point and tell all the people around what the coach is doing wrong, how they would do it instead and how much better it would be. Arm waving is not to be confused with any other kind of sports parent…
The officials stink: This parent will be seen waving arms, yelling (and spitting), and barking remarks after every call (or non-call) of the game. They often wear the same hat as the self-proclaimed coach because despite the fact that the officials are trained and experienced just like the coach, the officials stinking parents think they are always right and that the actual official is paid off by the other team. But at times when things seem to be moving in their team’s favor, their silence is deafening.
The Supportive Confused: This parent often sits quietly, mostly because they don’t really understand the ins and outs of the game. They sometimes cheer at the wrong time and know that the self-proclaimed coach or the stench of the referees will correct them. And sometimes the supportive confused will just be there because they love their kid and all the kids playing. Let’s face it, if they didn’t, they probably wouldn’t be sitting in the rain, cold or blazing sun, depending on the season, on a folding chair or metal grandstand. Sometimes this parent will take cues from the cheerleader and shout positive messages of encouragement, and the two will decide to bring snacks to the next game — when all these parents will be back again.
But this time with muesli bars (the snack bringer?).
Reach Karrie McAllister at mckarrie@gmail.com.
