Brent Coralli, CEO of Sting Soccer, posted his most recent blog today. Brent Coralli on When Parents Go Over The Line, talks about the unfortunate reality of parents acting inappropriately at children’s sporting events and what can be done.

“We may never get to a point where the only action we see is on the field played by our sons and daughters, but there are things we can do to encourage proper behavior on and off the field,” Coralli said in the blog. 

Anyone who has ever sat in the stands of a high school or junior high sporting event – whether baseball, football or, yes, even soccer – has probably witnessed a fan, parent or coach go over the line. Yelling at what is perceived to be a blown call; taking umpires and referees to task for getting it wrong; or, even worse, getting into it with another fan, coach or parent. All while the players on the field (perhaps the perpetrator’s son or daughter) try to practice good sportsmanship and fair play.

Making matters worse, this sometimes reprehensible behavior has made its way to the pee-wee set. Yes, we are now seeing – on a more than regular basis, grown men and women losing “it” over their child’s (we are talking 10 years old and younger) game where it is common to not keep score/everyone gets on base/etc.

At Sting, coaches and are not the parents of any members of the team they are coaching. All coaches are paid and are required to participate in resolution-training courses. As reported on earlier, Sting is in the process of implementing a Learning Management System (LMS) so every coach receives the same training and are certified annually. No coach will be permitted to step on a field without the annual certification.

Every Sting parent is aware of the “Education of Life Through Soccer” Philosophy and the five values every Sting player is taught and expected to honor/follow - Pride, Tradition, Character, Commitment and Leadership. Prior to the start of each season, parents are reminded as to the goals for the season and what is truly important. 

In addition, older Sting players are encouraged to referee a younger team’s game - - allowing players and parents to see what it is like to be a referee. “Providing a different perspective is something that is valuable to the players and to the parents,” Brent said. “We have found that those who referee have a new found respect and understanding – not only for the refs – but for the coaches, fans and game itself.”

To learn more about what Sting is doing, read When Parents Go Over The Line.