William Lai

The Rational Ref | Youth soccer is in need of a parental cultural revolution

Pushy mums and dads as well as combative coaches - who are blighting the chances of youngsters making their way in the sport - need to take a step back

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Children should be enjoying their football, but with some of the pressure that parents and coaches are placing on their shoulders, it can be tough for them to enjoy the game. Photo: David Wong

William Lai

Published: 6:45pm, 21 May 2015Updated: 9:51pm, 21 May 2015

Referees know the biggest tantrums often come, not from kids, but from pushy parents and combative coaches.

Go to any youth soccer match – there are still plenty of cup finals and youth tournaments this season – and there will always be loud obnoxious parents behaving like they know what’s best for their son or daughter, and what everyone else ought to be doing.

All this off-field drama takes the shine away from the kids, who are supposed to be enjoying themselves

There will always be coaches who become hysterical as they try to push their team to win, and who blithely disregard the rules or apply them with utmost precision when it best suits them.

All this off-field drama takes the shine away from the kids, who are supposed to be experiencing the highs and lows of playing the game, while simultaneously enjoying themselves.

In England last year, alarming reports of overzealous “touchline parents” forced Sports Minister Helen Grant to publicly warn parents they face being arrested if they get out of control.

Gary Lineker, commentator and former England striker, felt compelled to speak to fathers to try to get them to calm down after witnessing parents swearing at referees and shouting at their own children during games. Unfortunately, such incidents are common elsewhere in the world, too.

Former footballer and TV pundit Gary Lineker has said there needs to be a revolution in the way parents approach their children's soccer. Photo: AP

“The competitive nature of most mums and dads is astounding,” said Lineker, 54. “The fear they instil in our promising but sensitive Johnny is utterly depressing. We need a parental cultural revolution.”

Even youth tournaments at the highest levels cannot escape meddlesome parents. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has accused parents and agents as being the biggest threat to youth development.