Parents Love Their Children and want Nothing but the Best for Them...

As we all know behaviors that others may see as "pushy", sporting parents see as "lovingly supportive".

What a coach may interpret as "sticking their noses in", sporting parents see only a genuine interest in their child's development. This difference in perspective and the difficulty in being able to be objective where their kids are concerned often lead parents into a conflict situation with coaches, other parents, officials and eventually their own children.
I have done hundreds of talks to different sporting parents around Maldives. Many times parents have approached me after a talk and said, "I hear what you say, but you don't know my child. He is different".
Whilst every child is indeed an individual, what all children have in common are parents who have high opinions of their child's ability to do everything.
It starts early - the first day home from the hospital.
"Here is a picture of my baby. He is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen and I am not just saying that because he is mine".
Then around two years of age:
"My child is much more advanced than the other children - talking and walking before other kids, and I am not just saying that because he is mine".
Then at school.
"He is well advanced for his age. He can do things that most five year olds can't. I'm not just saying that because he is my son".
Then naturally at sport.
"He is the best full back in the island. He really is. I'm not just saying that because he is my son".
The football parent is merely extending their natural feelings of love and support for their child into the sporting environment.

Football Parents have five things in common:
· They love their children
· They want the best for their children
· They are incapable of being objective about their children
· They believe there is something special or unique about their children (that no on else can see)
· They don't believe people when they tell them every parent has the first four things in common.

This is where coaches and parents run into problems. Coaches see kids as athletic, confident, skilful etc based on their objective analysis of the child's ability to perform tasks at training and in games. Parents on the other hand see a child who is wonderful, brilliant and gifted because they share the same genetics.

Source: Soccer Parents Handbook by Ahmed Marzooq