Kids football - what is it about parents?

That's exactly it mate, it shouldn't make a difference what the score is until they move to 11s

even 7s / 9s pathway - scores shouldn't matter - I coached from 7s through to 9s to 11s and until the first season of 11s i told all the kids and parents everyone would get equal game time - when it got to p7 / s1 - I told them all they had 4 hours a week to try and earn a spot at training- the good habits of turning up / on time / listening / not messing about etc as those were sure fire ways to limit game time.
I agree totally with you on score, though there’s a fine line. If a team is losing heavily most weeks it can get a bit demoralising.
 
At the kids football today. Ten year olds.

My kids team got hammered in the first half. 4-0. But in the Second half turned it around and they completely wiped the floor with them to win 8-4 :D

As the other team were getting beaten the players started getting nasty. One of the boys went in knee high, studs first and our player took the studs all down his knee. Left a nasty bruise.

These are ten year olds.

At the end of the game, one of the fathers was heard encouraging his kid to do it harder next time as he deserved it.

It wasn’t an isolated incident. Constant egging them on to ‘go in hard’.

What is it about kids football that turns some parents into complete arseholes?

I’m only just started to get involved in it but I presume this bollox is commonplace?
Generally I would put it down to arsehole's trying to re-live their failed dreams through their kids.

I have 2 girls so thankfully for them I won't be doing the same :D as they've shown no interest in playing football other than kicking a ball to me and back.
 
Turn up at a boys club game early 10 am ko, on a Saturday or Sunday and sometimes the smell of alcohol from the parents would knock you down. And they’ve drove the kids to the game
 
I agree totally with you on score, though there’s a fine line. If a team is losing heavily most weeks it can get a bit demoralising.
Again depends on the level - if its fun 4s / 5s etc honestly I wouldn't even keep the score (personally)

as they move up the age ranges - if your in a decent league set up - they tend to have things at the start of a season to separate the Advanced / intermediate and development teams - for example our league set up welcomed a lot of new teams this year - from other leagues / some new teams - so they done a 3 game (7 groups of 4) to see how the teams done against each other - to work out which teams went in the A league and which went in the B league - seems to work well there has been some defeats 7/8-1 for example - but nothing like i see on twitter at times of teams losing 20+ - 0 etc - that's a waste of time for everyone.

Kids playing for 'pro youth' teams are definitely held to a higher standard, as are the parents.

and rightly so - for all there are flaws in the pro youth pyramid system - the boys playing in it are considered to be the elite at that level at that time - so should be held to a higher standard and your right parents are discouraged from having input at pro youth level and have more than once seen them told to either zip it or not come back and watch.
 
Again depends on the level - if its fun 4s / 5s etc honestly I wouldn't even keep the score (personally)

as they move up the age ranges - if your in a decent league set up - they tend to have things at the start of a season to separate the Advanced / intermediate and development teams - for example our league set up welcomed a lot of new teams this year - from other leagues / some new teams - so they done a 3 game (7 groups of 4) to see how the teams done against each other - to work out which teams went in the A league and which went in the B league - seems to work well there has been some defeats 7/8-1 for example - but nothing like i see on twitter at times of teams losing 20+ - 0 etc - that's a waste of time for everyone.



and rightly so - for all there are flaws in the pro youth pyramid system - the boys playing in it are considered to be the elite at that level at that time - so should be held to a higher standard and your right parents are discouraged from having input at pro youth level and have more than once seen them told to either zip it or not come back and watch.
Absolutely mate. Think they also hold a lot of weight at the levels just below pro youth. My brother played for St Mirren for a few years as a kid and they often put in complaints about the behaviour of opposition clubs and parents, and you felt that because it was coming from St Mirren they would actually take notice. So they have to practice what they preach tbh.
 
At the kids football today. Ten year olds.

My kids team got hammered in the first half. 4-0. But in the Second half turned it around and they completely wiped the floor with them to win 8-4 :D

As the other team were getting beaten the players started getting nasty. One of the boys went in knee high, studs first and our player took the studs all down his knee. Left a nasty bruise.

These are ten year olds.

At the end of the game, one of the fathers was heard encouraging his kid to do it harder next time as he deserved it.

It wasn’t an isolated incident. Constant egging them on to ‘go in hard’.

What is it about kids football that turns some parents into complete arseholes?

I’m only just started to get involved in it but I presume this bollox is commonplace?
My son has played for various teams since he was about six. One time he was playing and there was an aggressive challenge on one of the players in the opposing team and the kids dad (who must have weighed about 30 stone) started going absolutely mental at the side of the pitch. He was roaring “You’ve broke ma laddies leg!” and tried to climb over the chest high fence that was round the pitch, to get to the other kid. As he was doing so, the waist of his trousers got caught on the top of the fence and he fell, still attached to the fence, and was left dangling upside down with his trousers at his ankles and his big massive white Y fronts on display. All the kids, and the watching adults, were absolutely pishing themselves. To this day, it’s still one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.
 
I take it from your description the parents were total scum. If so probably hoping junior gets a sports career that gets them out of their trailer.
They weren't the most affluent of people, no.

However, parent behaviour runs across the spectrum... I've seen it from all sides, including parents on our own team. It is so embarrassing standing on the sidelines with parents who yell and scream at the ref and oppo parents.
 
Nasty b.astards on and off the pitch at all age groups.

Happening at girls football too now, though to a lesser extent.

There were grown men rolling about on
the pitch going hell for leather last Saturday at an u12s match in Greenock.
 
I coach my sons
2013s. Some of teams we play in the West Lothian area are rough as toast. We even had a match abandoned last year when a parent started mouthing off at a decision the referee made.

It’s also clear to see why we rarely produce any decent players as a country. Teams already poaching players that are 9 and never the ones who are actually technically good. Always the lad who can shoot from distance and thump it long

Yip this is my concern. Even in girls football I see this. They are picking the big tall girls that can shoot hard and bully other players rather than giving others a chance at under 10 level to experience an actual match. There is already a focus of win at all costs rather than lets make everyone better.

Fair to the coaches giving up their free time to train kids but if you are not going to do it just to make kids enjoy football and give everyone a chance and its just all about winning then don't do it. You are not helping improve grassroots football, you are just putting off players who could end up being very good with the right coaching and encouragement.

Parents screaming at refs, telling players to half other players at under 10 level is utterly abhorrent. If I was the coach I would remove every single one of those players from the team. Not fair on the kid but I would be saying if your parent cannot behave then you cannot be part of this team. There should be a zero tolerance approach by all coaches at all levels of youth football. If they attack the coach or ref they should be done for assault, their names should be posted on social media for their work to see. Just absolute scum.

Until least u14, u15 level the main focus should be on improving technical ability, will to win will come and for some that comes naturally. Recently we played the Faroes and I honestly seen more development in their play in the last 10 years than I did in what Scotland were offering, Faroes were unlucky not to be 2 ahead at half time. European teams are composed on the ball, do not look panicked at all, know their next pass and move before the ball has arrived at them and a lot of the time it is first touch. I see teams like Killie etc players taking 4 or 5 touches to control a ball, then when they get in a tight space they have no idea how to get out of it. Its pathetic. It's not about being a small nation, that is a small nation mentality trying to use that as an excuse. Croatia population is smaller than ours yet they have consistently produced excellent players, technically good, strong athletes. Yet we produce spotty skinny messes like David Turnbull who can barely last 60 mins in a game.
 
Yip this is my concern. Even in girls football I see this. They are picking the big tall girls that can shoot hard and bully other players rather than giving others a chance at under 10 level to experience an actual match. There is already a focus of win at all costs rather than lets make everyone better.

Fair to the coaches giving up their free time to train kids but if you are not going to do it just to make kids enjoy football and give everyone a chance and its just all about winning then don't do it. You are not helping improve grassroots football, you are just putting off players who could end up being very good with the right coaching and encouragement.

Parents screaming at refs, telling players to half other players at under 10 level is utterly abhorrent. If I was the coach I would remove every single one of those players from the team. Not fair on the kid but I would be saying if your parent cannot behave then you cannot be part of this team. There should be a zero tolerance approach by all coaches at all levels of youth football. If they attack the coach or ref they should be done for assault, their names should be posted on social media for their work to see. Just absolute scum.

Until least u14, u15 level the main focus should be on improving technical ability, will to win will come and for some that comes naturally. Recently we played the Faroes and I honestly seen more development in their play in the last 10 years than I did in what Scotland were offering, Faroes were unlucky not to be 2 ahead at half time. European teams are composed on the ball, do not look panicked at all, know their next pass and move before the ball has arrived at them and a lot of the time it is first touch. I see teams like Killie etc players taking 4 or 5 touches to control a ball, then when they get in a tight space they have no idea how to get out of it. Its pathetic. It's not about being a small nation, that is a small nation mentality trying to use that as an excuse. Croatia population is smaller than ours yet they have consistently produced excellent players, technically good, strong athletes. Yet we produce spotty skinny messes like David Turnbull who can barely last 60 mins in a game.

Exactly, there is no excuse. Unfortunately we still think it’s the 60s and our players will still be great but everything has moved on.

I mentioned earlier about the wee defender I coach. I honestly think he is the best defender I’ve ever seen at this age group but he has been dropped from the 1st team into the 2nds that I coach for the main reason that he isn’t the best at clearing his lines up the park ( ie he can’t punt it due to him being very small). Pathetic really.
 
I coach a team and we've had to ban certain parents before. We are a 2011's team.

Players crying because of their parents is not on. Most of the coaches we have dealt with are fine.
 
The coaches are very good in the league that I’m involved with, very fair and understanding, nearly all have played the game and get that there will be some questionable challenges and a bit of niggle.

Unfortunately lots of parents don’t get this, probably never played, we’ve had the same wee naff trying to fight coaches on several occasions. Unbelievable
 
I think there are a lot of kids who are being forced to play football that don't want to, parents trying to get their child to earn the bigs bucks, or play for their supported team.

I have heard of rumours of a kid that gets bought something every time he scores a goal, parents threatening coaches that their son will be at the pitches tonight, and getting a game even though they weren't picked (numbers were too high, rotation, a coach couldn't make it).

There are a lot of decent people out there giving their time up for free, but dont have the knowledge, professionals that have the knowledge, but just want as many kids as possible to make money.

Many times in this thread their has been talk about not keeping scores, the first thing we do with kids is get them to play against other local teams, at 5s; in training as there isn't enough coaches, and probably many other reasons.
 
I coach a team and we've had to ban certain parents before. We are a 2011's team.

Players crying because of their parents is not on. Most of the coaches we have dealt with are fine.
I coached my son’s team for a couple of seasons, he’d be 2010s, and while working with the kids was wonderful - a lot of the parents were awful. It defeinately brings the worst out of some folk.

I had one parent who is a very decent footballer and played with a Premiership’s youth teams at one point. He came up to me at the end of training one night and started off with, “I don’t want to be that parent…” - I responded with, but you are going to be..”
He wanted his son to play up front more… we rotated playing time at that age and his son played in all positions more or less the same amount of time. The thing is, the lad wanted to play in defence, he hated being up front and even when he was played as a striker he would gravitate back towards defence.
We had to agree to disagree on that one.

This guy an another parent went to the club to complain about the manager & I because they didn’t like the training we were doing… in truth they were wanting to coach themselves but the club weren’t having it.
One of them is now coaching at the club and I’m just back from training and watching his team kick lumps out of each other.
 
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