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Parents: A few pointers for the next sporting event
By SUZANNE KENNEDY
It’s summer, which means
chances are good that you have a
ďƌĞĂŬĨƌŽŵŬŝĚƐ͛ƐƉŽƌƚƐ͘ƟŶLJŽŶĞ͕
ŵĂLJďĞͶĂƚůĞĂƐƚŽŶĐĞ>ŝƩůĞ>ĞĂŐƵĞ
ŝƐŽǀĞƌ͘tŚĂƚĂĨĂďƵůŽƵƐƟŵĞƚŽƐŝƚ
back, unwind, and replay all of the
ƐŝĚĞůŝŶĞƉĂƌĞŶƚĂŶƟĐƐƚŚĂƚŐŽŚĂŶĚ
in hand with sports. You might rec-
ŽŐŶŝnjĞĂůŝƩůĞďŝƚŽĨLJŽƵƌƐĞůĨŝŶŽŶĞ
ŽĨƚŚĞƐĞĚĞƐĐƌŝƉƟŽŶƐ͘
Mr. “I Didn’t Sign up to Coach,
ďƵƚ/͛ŵ'ŽŝŶŐƚŽzĞůůŝƌĞĐƟŽŶƐ
Anyway.” If you want to coach, get
ŽƵƚŽŶƚŚĞĮĞůĚ͘<ŝĚƐĐĂŶ͛ƚŚĞĂƌƚŚĞ
actual coaches when parents are
yelling at them. Sure enough, I have
called out to my child to “choke
up on the bat.” Keep in mind that I
ŚĂǀĞƉůĂLJĞĚŽŶĞŐĂŵĞŽĨƐŽŌďĂůůŝŶ
my life, and that was a game be-
tween two stores in the mall where
I worked as a teenager. The Gap
had nothing on us.
DƌƐ͘͞/KŶůLJŚĞĞƌĨŽƌDLJKǁŶ
Child.” Step out of your bubble.
Your kid plays on a team. Only
cheering for your child gives him or
her an exaggerated sense of self.
Raise a team player. It’s also fun to
confuse your child by cheering for
the opponents when they complete
a great play.
The Loud Talker.^ŽŵĞŽŶĞƐŝƫŶŐ
at the other end of the bleachers
should not be able to hear your
ĐŽŶǀĞƌƐĂƟŽŶ͕ǁŚĞƚŚĞƌLJŽƵĂƌĞ
speaking to someone next to you or
talking on your cell phone. We are
not interested. Unless it actually
ŝƐŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƟŶŐ͘/ŶƚŚĂƚĐĂƐĞ͕ƉůĞĂƐĞ
expect to see a lot of other parents
Columbia River
Community Health Services
541-481-7212 • 450 Tatone St., Boardman, OR 97818
Mon. 7:30 am - 7:00 pm; Tue. - Fri. 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
See us for all your medical
needs. Most major
insurances, Medicare and
Oregon Medicaid accepted.
We are an insurance
exchange and Medicaid
Assistor Site. Please give us a
call for more information.
Hablamos Español
nudging each other and nodding in
LJŽƵƌĚŝƌĞĐƟŽŶ͘
dŚĞZĞŚĂƐŚͲƚŚĞͲ'ĂŵĞͲŽŶͲƚŚĞͲ
tĂLJͲ,ŽŵĞWĂƌĞŶƚ͘You know how
you feel when you work really hard
on something and someone points
ŽƵƚƚŚĞŽŶĞƟŶLJƚŚŝŶŐƚŚĂƚǁĂƐ
missed? That’s how your kids feel
when the ride home from the game
becomes a play-by-play of “should
have.” The only things you should
ďĞƐĂLJŝŶŐĂŌĞƌƚŚĞŐĂŵĞĂƌĞ͗͞/ƚ
was so much fun watching you
play!” and “Please take a shower
ďĞĐĂƵƐĞLJŽƵƐƟŶŬ͘͟
dŚĞhŶĨƌŝĞŶĚůLJ>ŽŶĞƌ͘ Look,
some days, we are all miserable
out there watching our kids play.
It’s too hot, too cold, too windy,
the bleachers are too hard, and our
camp chairs have no back support.
dŚĞƌĞ͛ƐŶŽŶĞĞĚƚŽƐƵīĞƌĂůŽŶĞ͘
'ĞƫŶŐƚŽŬŶŽǁŽƚŚĞƌĨĂŵŝůŝĞƐ
makes it more fun. You never know,
you might end up on another team
ƚŽŐĞƚŚĞƌ͘ǀĞŶďĞƩĞƌ͕LJŽƵŵŝŐŚƚďĞ
ĂďůĞƚŽďƵŵĂǁĂƚĞƌŽīŽĨƐŽŵĞŽŶĞ
when your child forgets to bring
one even though he was reminded
ϭϳƟŵĞƐ͘^Ž͕ŐĞƚŽīLJŽƵƌƉŚŽŶĞ
and join in the fun. Well, it’s okay to
be on the phone if you are order-
ŝŶŐĂĐĂŵƉĐŚĂŝƌǁŝƚŚďĞƩĞƌůƵŵďĂƌ
support. If that’s the case, get one
for me, too.
Okay, here’s some serious ad-
vice. Never, and I mean never,
shout out comments about a bad
call. It’s just not your place. If your
beef is with the referee or umpire,
ƐƉĞĂŬƚŽLJŽƵƌĐŚŝůĚ͛ƐĐŽĂĐŚ͘,ĞŽƌ
she will know how to take care of it.
If you have an issue with the coach,
ǁĂŝƚƵŶƟůLJŽƵĐĂŶƐƉĞĂŬƉƌŝǀĂƚĞůLJ͘
The athletes should not hear any
ŽĨŝƚ͘dŚŝƐŐŽĞƐĨŽƌƌĞůĂƟǀĞƐĂƐǁĞůů͘
Grandmas and grandpas gain noth-
ing from yelling out insults, even if
they are in the right. It’s embarrass-
ing for the other parents and for
the team.
Most importantly, listen to your
children. If they ask you not to yell,
or not to call out certain things,
ĐŽŵƉůLJ͘^ƚĞƉƉŝŶŐŽƵƚŽŶƚŽƚŚĞĮĞůĚ
is like stepping out onto a stage.
Most athletes feel like all eyes are
on them and kids are so easily
embarrassed. By following these
simple rules, you can keep the joy
in Mudville for another day, even if
your kid is the one who strikes out.
________
^ƵnjĂŶŶĞ<ĞŶŶĞĚLJŝƐĂĨŽƌŵĞƌ
middle school teacher who lives in
WĞŶĚůĞƚŽŶǁŝƚŚŚĞƌŚƵƐďĂŶĚĂŶĚ
three children.