Competitive sports for children can be very strenuous. I didn’t even realize how wild sports parents could be until my own kids started playing sports. I cheered and screamed from the sideline as she appeared on the field in soccer gear. She was 4 years old at the time and I must have thought she was trying out for the U.S. Women’s National Team.
I cheer from the sidelines just to encourage my kids, but when it comes to soccer parents, some parents take a darker path, criticizing their kids or arguing with other parents or coaches. A Montana-based soccer club added “Silent Saturday” to its league last year, encouraging parents to participate from the sidelines.
More soccer leagues seem to be taking note of this, including some in Southern California, and one mom shared her thoughts on “silent soccer games” in a recent TikTok video.
“I just got home from my daughter’s silent soccer game,” Holly Glassmeyer said. “No one is allowed to say anything, no parents, no coaches. The only thing you’re allowed to do is applaud when they score.”
“I’m not from here,” she added. “I’m from a small town in Washington state and moved to Southern California a year and a half ago. And I love it, but…what? Okay. I’m healthy, so… I understand that, especially because some parents are like, “Hey, remember, these kids are six years old?” “Oh, she’s 8 years old”… sometimes that happens. ”
While Grassmeyer understands the point of silent soccer games, he also has some controversial views. I said it there. ”
One user commented, “This is kind parenting…soccer edition.”
One user asked, “Is the coach silent too?!” How do they…teach? ”
“How encouraged are the kids feeling?! The only thing that kept me going was my mom telling me go go on the sidelines 😂💀,” another TikToker commented. did.
OP replied: My daughter scored a goal right after the start of the game and exclaimed, “Hello dad, I scored!” And to be honest, because of this, the conversations between girls have decreased, and in fact, they have increased! ”
After more comments poured in, many pointing out that the idea of a “silent soccer game” felt like a stretch, one user chimed in to explain the story behind this new rule.
“It also builds teamwork because it aims to teach children how to communicate with each other and let them learn on their own, rather than just adults telling them what to do,” they said. .
Another player said the same thing. “Our league has done things like this sometimes, and it was great.” The kids really started coming up to the plate and communicating more on the field. It felt similar to schoolyard soccer in the best sense of the word. ”
“You have to wonder what happened before silent games were implemented 🤔,” another person noted.
This is so true! The concept of sports games where parents aren’t allowed to speak didn’t come out of thin air. I think everyone knows why this rule was introduced.
